Help Me with this Starfish ID!

I saw these at my LFS and they NEVER have starfish. I want one so bad... but i dont know what it is... and apparently neither do they... just some kids i guess.

 

That looks like a Ghardaqana Sea Star or otherwise known as a Red Sea Marble star.


Luna

 

thats what i thought at first but its all spiny. and has purple coloured hairs on it.

 

According to my book, it says;

Min. tank size.....100g or larger
Foods and Feeding.....diet unkown. Possibly eats sponges.
Aquarium Suitability........Not suitable for most tanks; will often live for a year or so and then die from malnutrition.

Captive Care.....Endemic to the Red Sea, this species typically is red or orange with white or yellow contrasting large beadlike plates on the upper surface. It will likely do best in a large, well-established tank with a lot of sponges and epifaunal growth. Needs higher salinities and temperatures than most sea stars. The salinity should be in the range of 37 to 38 ppt, with temperatures of 82 to 84 F. As with all echinoderms, it should be acclimated very slowly, over a period of hrs, to new water conditions.



Hope this helps. Luna

 

ok so i bought it.... it eats shrimp and this is what i think it is:

Echinaster spinulosus

no clue what it likes to eat other then my spaghetti coral lol.... it ate it once and never again.. weird.