Freaky Wierd- Brittle star ATTACK!

corals b 4 bills · 10/23/2006, 10:50 PM

I came home this evening and saw 8 snail shells in the back of the tank, then I looked at my wifes new one day old 2 inch purple linkia star fish and all of the ends of it's tenticles were eaten off! I turned to tell the wife the bad news when she came over to look at it when we saw my one year old 16 inch long green brittle star reaching from around some rocks and lifting up this poor little linkia to it's demond lair. I rescued it just in time, but the beast escaped. WHAT THE HELL! Iv'e had brittle stars for years-raised them from 4inch to 20 inch then donated them to my LFS and never had them commit murder, Now, how do I catch this thing without ripping every tenticle off?

Mishap · 10/23/2006, 11:31 PM

Toss in a Harlequin shrimp?

corals b 4 bills · 10/23/2006, 11:33 PM

A small harlequin will take down a 16 inch long brittle star?

Mr31415 · 10/23/2006, 11:55 PM

Yeah here is a tip - move that brittle star to a predator tank. I did the same - as it ate my Feather Star. Here is a description from Ronald L Shimek:

"The Green Brittle Star - One of the most voracious invertebrates found in captivity; not suitable for reef aquariums.
...
This predatory brittle star forages for food at night and has been documented to eat firefishes, damselfishes, mandarinfishes, blennies, small gobies, cleaner wrasses, cleaner shrimps, and crabs".

GinaSofia · 10/23/2006, 11:58 PM

your brittle star was most likely just eating or trying to eat what was already ill or dieing.How did you acclimate the Purple Linckia?It may have been suffering from osmotic shock after a poor acclimation.

corals b 4 bills · 10/24/2006, 12:01 AM

Auh man thats why my new sand sifting goby is missing, any ideas how to get the little bugger without mutilating it as it grabs every rock as it comes out?

Mr31415 · 10/24/2006, 12:02 AM

Nope I disgress. The Green Brittle Star is a predator and it actively attacks other smaller fish and crustaceans. It is COMPLETELY different to any other brittle star. I have it now in my predator tank and have seen how it attacks small crabs and shrimps. It will swallow a 1.5" krill whole without blinking.

Mr31415 · 10/24/2006, 12:03 AM

Well I picked mine up by hand - it was scary as hell since I did that after seeing how it attacked my feather star but as long as you keep your fingers away from the central disk I think it would be OK. Lure him with a piece of krill in to the open then gently grab a tentacle.

I love mine - but not in my reef aquarium. They are awesome in my predator tank.

DrBegalke · 10/24/2006, 12:12 AM

Depending on how big the star is, and how much space is available, you can place a jar (or other container) on the bottom with food inside that the star likes... wait awhile and it should come out (do this at night) and you can catch it then.

corals b 4 bills · 10/24/2006, 12:17 AM

Here's a pic of him at 6 months old.

GinaSofia · 10/24/2006, 12:49 AM

I've never read of a Brittle-even a Green one-killing another starfish.Fish,yes.Crabs/Snails,yes-Another star,no.

Mr31415 · 10/24/2006, 04:44 AM

Well I have not just read it, I saw it happening with my own two eyes.

wrassie86 · 10/24/2006, 06:32 AM

I retired my large green brittle star to my sump a few years ago.beside fish and snails,mine will eat soft corals as fast as i can put them in.he really likes xenia.

musty baby · 10/24/2006, 09:17 AM

Quote:

he really likes xenia.

Finally someone says something nice about them!

snslarison · 10/24/2006, 10:08 AM

I saw a brittle star eating snails in a friends tank. Their pretty brutal once they get a taste for them.

stereomandan · 10/24/2006, 10:17 AM

Cool thread. I didn't know they were so vicious either.

ryansholl, I agree.

I wish I could get one and program it only to eat certain patches of xenia and GSP's.

Dan

Mr31415 · 10/24/2006, 10:37 AM

Just remember - this is only the Green Brittle Star (Ophiarachna spp.). the others AFAIK are really just scavengers.

Nabber86 · 10/24/2006, 10:42 AM

Ours is almost a foot across. Just feed the beast a couple of times a week with a piece of shrimp. They are opportunistic and lazy. If well fed, it shouldnt bother anything else. Here is what happened to our purple linkia when the evil green one wasnt fed:

and the lil' b*stard himself:

wrassie86 · 10/24/2006, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by stereomandan
Cool thread. I didn't know they were so vicious either.

ryansholl, I agree. I wish I could get one and program it only to eat certain patches of xenia and GSP's.

Dan

I'll send ya mine for free.Xenia is nothing to mine, one big stalk last about 15minutes

Sucks i thought i had him given away about a year ago to a aggresive system,But the people that were picking up corals fogot to take him

dvmsn · 10/24/2006, 12:10 PM

I personally watched one catch and kill a healthy blue damsel. Last one ever to go in my tank.

greenbean36191 · 10/24/2006, 12:54 PM

O. incrassata certainly isn't opportunistic or lazy. It is an ambush predator. It is well known to attack healthy fish and inverts, even when it's fed regularly.

I think blaming them for the damage done to the other stars may be a little off base though.

Nabber86 · 10/24/2006, 01:27 PM

Well based on what I have observed over 2 years is that my O. incrassate is a scavenger rather than a predator. It eats mostly flake food, shrimp pieces, or whatever falls to the bottom of the tank. Except for the purple linkia, it has never attached anything else. I am not saying that it cannot become a predator under the right conditions, but normal mode of operation is definitely a scavenger.

And I would use the term â€œopportunisticâ€ to describe EVERY organism in my system.

Mr31415 · 10/24/2006, 01:30 PM

It is just interesting that as a scavenger it has been documented to eat all those fish I mentioned - I mean it is hard to scavenge a live fish. And I saw it for no reason at all jump on top of my Feather Star and started consuming it.

Nabber86 · 10/24/2006, 02:21 PM

Reports of missing fish, while highly exciting, are rare compared to the vast amounts of scavenged food that O. incrassata consumes in a reef tank.

Again I am not saying that they are incapable of predation, it is just that 99.9 percent of the diet of my green brittle star is scavenged food.

dvmsn · 10/24/2006, 05:48 PM

Why risk a brittle star when there are lots of completely benign scavengers available?

10/23/2006, 10:50 PM	#1
corals b 4 bills Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: San Francisco Bay Area (Belmont). Posts: 2,381	Freaky Wierd- Brittle star ATTACK! I came home this evening and saw 8 snail shells in the back of the tank, then I looked at my wifes new one day old 2 inch purple linkia star fish and all of the ends of it's tenticles were eaten off! I turned to tell the wife the bad news when she came over to look at it when we saw my one year old 16 inch long green brittle star reaching from around some rocks and lifting up this poor little linkia to it's demond lair. I rescued it just in time, but the beast escaped. WHAT THE HELL! Iv'e had brittle stars for years-raised them from 4inch to 20 inch then donated them to my LFS and never had them commit murder, Now, how do I catch this thing without ripping every tenticle off? __________________ Reefkeeper - (ref-ke-per) n: Individual obsessed with placing disturbing amounts of electricity and seawater in close proximity for the purpose of maintaining live coral reef organisms. Current Tank Info: 29 gallon Bio Cube, HQI 150 watt Nanotuner~Vortech MP10W ES~Arctica Chiller~AC II~Tunze Osmolator ATO~ Tunze 9002 skimmer W/In Tank Cup~ Korallin Reactor W/PH Monitor~ Korallin Denitrator~APC Back-up~Phosban/Carbon Reactor.

10/23/2006, 11:33 PM	#3
corals b 4 bills Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: San Francisco Bay Area (Belmont). Posts: 2,381	A small harlequin will take down a 16 inch long brittle star? __________________ Reefkeeper - (ref-ke-per) n: Individual obsessed with placing disturbing amounts of electricity and seawater in close proximity for the purpose of maintaining live coral reef organisms. Current Tank Info: 29 gallon Bio Cube, HQI 150 watt Nanotuner~Vortech MP10W ES~Arctica Chiller~AC II~Tunze Osmolator ATO~ Tunze 9002 skimmer W/In Tank Cup~ Korallin Reactor W/PH Monitor~ Korallin Denitrator~APC Back-up~Phosban/Carbon Reactor.

10/24/2006, 12:01 AM	#6
corals b 4 bills Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: San Francisco Bay Area (Belmont). Posts: 2,381	Auh man thats why my new sand sifting goby is missing, any ideas how to get the little bugger without mutilating it as it grabs every rock as it comes out? __________________ Reefkeeper - (ref-ke-per) n: Individual obsessed with placing disturbing amounts of electricity and seawater in close proximity for the purpose of maintaining live coral reef organisms. Current Tank Info: 29 gallon Bio Cube, HQI 150 watt Nanotuner~Vortech MP10W ES~Arctica Chiller~AC II~Tunze Osmolator ATO~ Tunze 9002 skimmer W/In Tank Cup~ Korallin Reactor W/PH Monitor~ Korallin Denitrator~APC Back-up~Phosban/Carbon Reactor.

10/24/2006, 12:12 AM	#9
DrBegalke Go Buckeyes! Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Phoenix area, AZ Posts: 2,599	Depending on how big the star is, and how much space is available, you can place a jar (or other container) on the bottom with food inside that the star likes... wait awhile and it should come out (do this at night) and you can catch it then. __________________ ~Jason Begalke Current Tank Info: Latest project: JBJ Cubey

10/24/2006, 12:17 AM	#10
corals b 4 bills Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: San Francisco Bay Area (Belmont). Posts: 2,381	Here's a pic of him at 6 months old. __________________ Reefkeeper - (ref-ke-per) n: Individual obsessed with placing disturbing amounts of electricity and seawater in close proximity for the purpose of maintaining live coral reef organisms. Current Tank Info: 29 gallon Bio Cube, HQI 150 watt Nanotuner~Vortech MP10W ES~Arctica Chiller~AC II~Tunze Osmolator ATO~ Tunze 9002 skimmer W/In Tank Cup~ Korallin Reactor W/PH Monitor~ Korallin Denitrator~APC Back-up~Phosban/Carbon Reactor.

10/23/2006, 11:31 PM	#2
Mishap Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Eastern PA Posts: 977	Toss in a Harlequin shrimp?

10/23/2006, 11:55 PM	#4
Mr31415 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Surrey, Canada Posts: 1,926	Yeah here is a tip - move that brittle star to a predator tank. I did the same - as it ate my Feather Star. Here is a description from Ronald L Shimek: "The Green Brittle Star - One of the most voracious invertebrates found in captivity; not suitable for reef aquariums. ... This predatory brittle star forages for food at night and has been documented to eat firefishes, damselfishes, mandarinfishes, blennies, small gobies, cleaner wrasses, cleaner shrimps, and crabs".

10/23/2006, 11:58 PM	#5
GinaSofia Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: SoCal-SFV Posts: 3,034	your brittle star was most likely just eating or trying to eat what was already ill or dieing.How did you acclimate the Purple Linckia?It may have been suffering from osmotic shock after a poor acclimation.

10/24/2006, 12:02 AM	#7
Mr31415 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Surrey, Canada Posts: 1,926	Nope I disgress. The Green Brittle Star is a predator and it actively attacks other smaller fish and crustaceans. It is COMPLETELY different to any other brittle star. I have it now in my predator tank and have seen how it attacks small crabs and shrimps. It will swallow a 1.5" krill whole without blinking.

10/24/2006, 12:03 AM	#8
Mr31415 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Surrey, Canada Posts: 1,926	Well I picked mine up by hand - it was scary as hell since I did that after seeing how it attacked my feather star but as long as you keep your fingers away from the central disk I think it would be OK. Lure him with a piece of krill in to the open then gently grab a tentacle. I love mine - but not in my reef aquarium. They are awesome in my predator tank.

10/24/2006, 12:49 AM	#11
GinaSofia Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: SoCal-SFV Posts: 3,034	I've never read of a Brittle-even a Green one-killing another starfish.Fish,yes.Crabs/Snails,yes-Another star,no.

10/24/2006, 04:44 AM	#12
Mr31415 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Surrey, Canada Posts: 1,926	Well I have not just read it, I saw it happening with my own two eyes.

10/24/2006, 06:32 AM	#13
wrassie86 Premium Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Thonotosassa,FL Posts: 1,836	I retired my large green brittle star to my sump a few years ago.beside fish and snails,mine will eat soft corals as fast as i can put them in.he really likes xenia. __________________ Rob Current Tank Info: None, On a baby and moving break.

10/24/2006, 10:08 AM	#15
snslarison Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Downey, CA Posts: 1,430	I saw a brittle star eating snails in a friends tank. Their pretty brutal once they get a taste for them. __________________ "Ok you Primitive Screwheads, listen up! You see this? This... is my BOOMSTICK! " -Army of Darkness

10/24/2006, 10:17 AM	#16
stereomandan Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Michigan Posts: 2,888	Cool thread. I didn't know they were so vicious either. ryansholl, I agree. I wish I could get one and program it only to eat certain patches of xenia and GSP's. Dan __________________ 90g Tank, 75 lbs Live Rock, T5, T8 and VHO Lighting, Closed loop on Snapper Pump 1.5" Sand in main tank, DSB in 38g Sump, B-ionic Daily, Temp 79, SG 1.026 LPS, Softies Current Tank Info: 90 Gallon Reef

10/24/2006, 10:37 AM	#17
Mr31415 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Surrey, Canada Posts: 1,926	Just remember - this is only the Green Brittle Star (Ophiarachna spp.). the others AFAIK are really just scavengers.

10/24/2006, 10:42 AM	#18
Nabber86 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Stalewater Kansas Posts: 408	Ours is almost a foot across. Just feed the beast a couple of times a week with a piece of shrimp. They are opportunistic and lazy. If well fed, it shouldnt bother anything else. Here is what happened to our purple linkia when the evil green one wasnt fed: and the lil' b*stard himself:

10/24/2006, 12:10 PM	#20
dvmsn Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Surfside Beach, SC Posts: 3,008	I personally watched one catch and kill a healthy blue damsel. Last one ever to go in my tank.

10/24/2006, 12:54 PM	#21
greenbean36191 Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Ft. Lauderdale Posts: 10,598	O. incrassata certainly isn't opportunistic or lazy. It is an ambush predator. It is well known to attack healthy fish and inverts, even when it's fed regularly. I think blaming them for the damage done to the other stars may be a little off base though. __________________ Some say the sun rises in the East. Some say it rises in the West. The truth must be somewhere in the middle. Current Tank Info: tore them down to move and haven't had the time or money to set them back up

10/24/2006, 01:27 PM	#22
Nabber86 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Stalewater Kansas Posts: 408	Well based on what I have observed over 2 years is that my O. incrassate is a scavenger rather than a predator. It eats mostly flake food, shrimp pieces, or whatever falls to the bottom of the tank. Except for the purple linkia, it has never attached anything else. I am not saying that it cannot become a predator under the right conditions, but normal mode of operation is definitely a scavenger. And I would use the term â€œopportunisticâ€ to describe EVERY organism in my system.

10/24/2006, 01:30 PM	#23
Mr31415 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Surrey, Canada Posts: 1,926	It is just interesting that as a scavenger it has been documented to eat all those fish I mentioned - I mean it is hard to scavenge a live fish. And I saw it for no reason at all jump on top of my Feather Star and started consuming it.

10/24/2006, 02:21 PM	#24
Nabber86 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Stalewater Kansas Posts: 408	Reports of missing fish, while highly exciting, are rare compared to the vast amounts of scavenged food that O. incrassata consumes in a reef tank. Again I am not saying that they are incapable of predation, it is just that 99.9 percent of the diet of my green brittle star is scavenged food.

10/24/2006, 05:48 PM	#25
dvmsn Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Surfside Beach, SC Posts: 3,008	Why risk a brittle star when there are lots of completely benign scavengers available?