Disk and arms quite smooth; the latter ringed with faint lines, which, magnified, are seen to be rows of minute conical papillae.

The species possesses twenty arms which are smooth, lacking spines or "grains"; upon closer inspection a network of "cross-lines" are visible.

[9] Astroboa nuda are found throughout the tropical seas of the Indo-Pacific, occurring in the Gulf of Aqaba at its northernmost range,[9] down south to Madagascar, Mozambique and South Africa,[12] and eastwards to the seas around Indonesia, the Philippines, the northern coast of Australia, New Caledonia, and Vanuatu.

[13] Like other gorgonocephalids, they are benthic, commonly being found on the seafloor at depths greater than twenty meters, burrowing into the sandy bottom.

[14][dubious – discuss][inconsistent] Unlike some other species within Ophiuroidea that form aggregations, Astroboa nuda are usually found alone or in groups of two to four.

[9] Astroboa nuda is a filter feeder and usually feeds on plankton, such as the larvae of decapods and copepods, as well as those of fish.

[15] If the area is heavily disturbed causing irregular current, they usually remain sheltered behind coral heads, or other sections of the reef.

[8] Typically, there are separate male and female basket stars, which release sperm and eggs into the water.

[14] Cardinalfish of the genus Apogon may shelter amongst the arms of Astroboa nuda, apparently feeding on the food captured by the basket star.

These copepods, of the species Doridicola connexus (Lichomolgidae) and Collocherides singularis (Asterocheridae) live in the stomach of the basket stars.