Marine Invertebrates Care Guides
Starfish, urchins, sea cucumbers, conchs and other reef clean-up crew invertebrates.
Turbo Snail
Turbo sp.
A powerful algae-eating snail that mows down hair and film algae - a clean-up crew workhorse.
Trochus Snail
Trochus sp.
A reef-safe grazing snail that can right itself if it falls - a top clean-up crew choice.
Nassarius Snail
Nassarius sp.
A sand-dwelling scavenger that pops up to devour leftover food; keeps the sand bed clean.
Cerith Snail
Cerithium sp.
A versatile snail that eats algae, detritus and waste on rock and in the sand.
Astrea Snail
Astraea tecta
A reliable film- and hair-algae grazer; just help it upright if it tips over.
Fighting Conch
Strombus alatus
A fascinating sand-sifting conch that cleans the sand bed of algae and detritus.
Brittle Star
Ophiarachna sp.
A fast, reef-safe scavenging star that hides by day and cleans up leftover food (avoid the green species).
Serpent Star
Ophioderma sp.
A hardy, reef-safe detritivore that keeps the rockwork and sand free of waste.
Sand Sifting Star
Astropecten polyacanthus
Sifts and cleans the sand bed, but can deplete its life - best in larger, established tanks.
Tuxedo Urchin
Mespilia globulus
A tidy little urchin that grazes algae and decorates itself with shells and rubble.
Sea Cucumber
Holothuria sp.
A sand-cleaning cucumber that processes the substrate; handle gently as some can release toxins.
Feather Duster Worm
Sabellastarte sp.
A beautiful filter-feeding worm with a feathery crown; needs fine food in the water.