Are Brittle Stars Aggressive?

[Rovert]

I've had a number of unexplained fish and snail disappearances over the past number of months. Specifically, I've lost two coral beauty and two carpenter wrasses without a trace. At first, I blamed it on my hog fish, but I'm wondering if it might be one or both brittle stars that are the culprits. Any thoughts?

 

[blaxsun]

I have several small fish in my tank and I've never lost one to a brittle starfish. While they're scavengers, I think they're primarily opportunistic scavengers. And typically lazy, lol.

I've got 6 of various species in my tank (and have had some of them for well over a year).

 

[mrpontiac80]

To my knowledge, brittle stars will only go after the waste.. even if it is a dead fish, but I e never had one kill a fish. I have heard green brittle stars can kill though.

 

[bluemon]

There are some serpent star species that eat fish. I think it was the green one

 

[jabberwock]

To my knowledge, brittle stars will only go after the waste.. even if it is a dead fish, but I e never had one kill a fish. I have heard green brittle stars can kill though.

Dude, that firebird is AMAZING!

 

[AydenLincoln]

There are some serpent star species that eat fish. I think it was the green one

Yes the green ones are predators and big!

 

[mrpontiac80]

Dude, that firebird is AMAZING!

Thanks!

 

[Stomatopods17]

Specify what type of brittle.

Its not unheard of, sometimes expected of some brittles to eat fish, especially the large ones.

I've seen green brittles eat large morays at night. Some of the other brittles could manage it as well, but they tend to be too small to achieve anything unlike green brittles which are massive. Banded Serpents for example are too small to hunt anything and are more easily kept fed, there's no reports of them attacking and killing anything that I can find.