What is eating my star's legs?

DracoKat

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I got a very small serpent star several weeks ago. I haven't seen it since I added it to the tank. Upon shipment, it had lost half a leg, I figured it was due to stress.

Last night I moved a rock and saw the body of the star with no legs at all. He is still alive, moving around. I put the rock back over him.

All water testing is normal, I do not think it's the water.. but could one of my fish be eating its legs? Any other ideas?

2 percula clowns
exquisite wrasse
leopard wrasse
yellow coris wrass
red-head solon wrasse
3 barred zebra gobies

Emeral Crab
Banded Shrimp

I doubt my snails or hermits did anything, 2 hermits and they're tiny.
 

helen ann

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What are your water parameters?
I would say stress, star fish are very temperamental and need pristine water conditions and if anything is aggravating him.
Did you drip acclimate?
 
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cromag27

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Sea stars don't always ship well and as they die, they start to fall apart. I don't believe I've even seen one heal and live once the process has started. as soon as they start to fall apart all kinds of livestock can start picking at it. Unfortunately I don't see this ending well.
 

4FordFamily

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IMO they're pretty hardy. I've got three giants in one of my 180, and another in my 125. I can't kill them and my sump is full of them.

If it's missing legs (outside of shipping stress) my bet is on a harlequin shrimp hitchhiker. Do you have one by chance that you know of?
 
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DracoKat

DracoKat

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I've never seen a harlequin shrimp in my tank. I don't think so.

What are the chances of him surviving and regrowing legs? Should I put him in a breeders net so no one bothers him?
 

Luna

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I had a sand shifter starfish whos legs also started disappearing, I think the hermit crabs were munching on it. They took out my cleaner shrimp .
 

_Alex_

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We have a serpent star for about 6 years now. Came in a rock we purchased and was about 4" diameter. He is now pushing 16" I'd guess. But we noticed at times the tips of his legs would be gone. And slowly one leg at a time would disappear.

We started feeding him more and they grew back rather quickly. We would directly drop pellets ore piece of shrimp to it. Year or 2 later we noticed it happening again and repeated the giving him a bit more food regularly. And again they grew back.

At one time or another I believe I read a thread on here stating they will eat there own legs to survive. And when they find next meal regenerate them. Nothing back this up but my personal experience.
 
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DracoKat

DracoKat

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I overturned the rocks where I found him under yesterday, and the nearby rocks. I don't think he could've gotten far with no legs. Maybe he wedged himself in and I missed him
 

_Alex_

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I'd just leave him be personally. Throw some food in. If he's in there he will come out. Cause more stress keeping digging around for him.
 

recess62

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There is a virus that affects serpent stars. This virus causes the limbs to melt away over the course of a week or so. There is no cure and the star dies

http://www.virology.ws/2014/11/17/a-virus-that-melts-sea-stars/

I have had 2 sea stars disappear. Apparently once you have this in your tank you can never get rid of it
 
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