Another stowaway.....good or bad?

[hopperjl16]

I find the weirdest things by flashlight at night! So saw this sticking out from my LR, at first thought it was another bristle worm with a different pattern but then I noticed 3 "tentacles", all with a striped pattern of gray/dark brown. Is this possibly a brittle sea star?

 

[steiger33]

Looks like a brittle starfish.

 

[saltyphish]

Believe you guessed it

 

[hopperjl16]

So since I see these for sale and people purposely get them I'm assuming they're ok?

 

[Diesel]

Yes they are big cleaners.
They also can get BIG and if the do they might see a fish who's resting at night as a snack.
Though it's going to take a while before they get to that stage.

 

[Sabellafella]

So since I see these for sale and people purposely get them I'm assuming they're ok?

If i had to sit and try to count all the arms and legs that come flying out under my live rock everytime i feed my tank id go crosseyed. From what ive seen i think in the beginning they keep multiplying (so they stay micro sized) untill they reach a certain point based on your tank size/feeding habbits/detritus/ect. Then theyll stop and start getting larger. People say they are micro brittle stars but i have some the size of my hand so far and its ben quite a while sence i first spotted them

 

[hopperjl16]

Yes they are big cleaners.
They also can get BIG and if the do they might see a fish who's resting at night as a snack.
Though it's going to take a while before they get to that stage.

Good to know!

 

[Squishie89]

I think that is probably a micro brittle star and not a serpent star. Micro brittles do not get bigger than maybe a 50 cent piece (with tentacles, body itself wont get bigger than a pin head).

 

[Puffy_Sanchez]

I think that is probably a micro brittle star and not a serpent star. Micro brittles do not get bigger than maybe a 50 cent piece (with tentacles, body itself wont get bigger than a pin head).

+1. This is my understanding as well.