Range: Indo-Pacific Ocean: Red Sea to the Line and Ducie Islands, southern Japan, and Lord Howe and Rapa Islands

Size: Up to 48 in (120 cm)

Natural Environment: Inhabit shallow coastal bays to reef fringe areas

General Husbandry: Has a temperature range of 75 - 82°F (24 - 28°C) and has a natural diet of benthic invertebrate, usually hard-shelled invertebrates. Requires a meaty diet, including chopped fish and shrimp flesh, fortified brine shrimp, mysis, black worms and other meaty type frozen foods, with two or three feedings per day. A burrowing species and must have a deep layer of fine sand, i.e., at least four inches (10 cm) for small specimens. Provide a fine-grained substrate of at least 6 inches (15 cm) in depth for adults. Has a habit of turning over rubble, therefore can damage plate corals. Will also eat snails, urchins, sea stars, brittle stars, shrimp, clams, and worms of all kinds, and when larger may eat small fishes. Cute when small, however, grows too large for most hobbyist aquariums. May bury itself for days upon being introduced in the aquarium.

Aquarium Suitability: * * & * * * *