Habitat: many parts of the tropical IndoPacific: Eastern Africa including Madagascar, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, North to the Southern parts of Japan and South to the tropical Northern coast of Australia as well as some island groups of the Southern Pacific
Status: Not listed
Here’s a weird creature the kids are sure to find deliciously interesting: the Chocolate Chip Sea Star (Protoreaster nodosus)! These little treats of the sea are common in the aquarium trade but are actually quite hard to maintain. They usually end up destroying any sessile life forms including hard corals and sponges. Not exactly what you want happening in your home aquarium. In public aquariums, these stars are sometimes target-fed with chopped squids, clams or shrimps so that no unnecessary damage occurs.
When fully baked, these creatures reach 30 centimetres in diameter. The sea stars are usually colored in shades of red or brown, but can be light tan, the color of cookie dough.
You might be wondering what those ‘chips’ are there for. The sea star seems to think its quite the scary costume; I mean who would want to go after something with sharp, black, dark, yummy, DeLiCiOuS, chocolatey morsels on its back? Hmm. I see where there could be a problem for this guy now…
Nom.
Here’s a big batch for you all!
