Pincushion Starfish

The pincushion starfish, scientifically known as Culcita novaeguineae, is a distinctive marine echinoderm native to the warm tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific region. Reaching an average diameter of 8 to 10 inches (20 to 25 centimeters), it completely lacks the traditional long, pointed arms typical of sea stars. Instead, it features a heavily inflated, pentagonal to almost spherical body shape resembling a padded cushion, with colors ranging from mottled brown, orange, and yellow to deep green or purple. As juveniles, these sea stars possess a flatter, pentagonal shape that gradually swells and thickens as they mature. In nature, Culcita novaeguineae is a slow-moving predator that grazes over reef structures, feeding primarily on stony coral polyps (scleractinians), sponges, sea anemones, microalgae, and detritus. It feeds by extruding its stomach outward through its central mouth opening to digest organic tissue directly over the surface of its prey before retracting it back inside.

In a home marine aquarium, pincushion starfish are strictly not reef-safe, as they will readily consume live coral colonies, clams, and sessile invertebrates. They require very large, mature fish-only-with-live-rock (FOWLR) systems with open space to move along the substrate and lower rockwork. Aquarists keeping this species must provide targeted supplemental feedings of chopped fresh seafood, clam meat, and algae pellets to maintain its bulk and prevent it from starving.