black brittle star, a killer?

[Jack_L]

have any of you ever had a BLACK brittle start take out a fish, say maybe a yellow watchman goby that lived under a rock? i was told by LFS and read the black stars were harmless, but something suspicous happened.

 

[GHOSTLY]

If the fish was sick first its most likely. They are opportunistic but I haven't heard of them being hunters. Unless your watchman was Itty bitty and you bought a big star

 

[mcarroll]

have any of you ever had a BLACK brittle start take out a fish, say maybe a yellow watchman goby that lived under a rock? i was told by LFS and read the black stars were harmless, but something suspicous happened.

Color is only relevant as a predictor of size. Yours was probably appropriate for the tank size.

I think they are all opportunistic scavengers that are VERY capable of hunting if the need arises. Like if we aren't target feeding them because we consider them scavengers.....

I had a brown serpent star do that to a porcelain crab of mine.....he looked ridiculous with a whole crab in his "belly" but I guess they don't know how they look. ;)

If you keep a serpent or brittle star, feed it. I bet that preempts hunting instincts pretty well.

Micro brittle stars are much more fun.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I used to keep a red serpent star and for years my small fish (clown gobies, neon gobies, etc..) would suddenly disappear after some time, always a night time disappearance. I don't keep brittle or serpent stars anymore.

 

[Jack_L]

the more i think about it, the more it steams my clams. when i fed it some LRS reef frenzy food, i realized, that thing can REALLY move when it wants too.

 

[Jack_L]

If the fish was sick first its most likely. They are opportunistic but I haven't heard of them being hunters. Unless your watchman was Itty bitty and you bought a big star

arms were 6"+ long(except the nub one regrowing), body inch and quater diameter, here is a photo. YWG was about 2 inchs i guess, smaller than the firefish i have.

 

[Jack_L]

Color is only relevant as a predictor of size. Yours was probably appropriate for the tank size.

I think they are all opportunistic scavengers that are VERY capable of hunting if the need arises. Like if we aren't target feeding them because we consider them scavengers.....

I had a brown serpent star do that to a porcelain crab of mine.....he looked ridiculous with a whole crab in his "belly" but I guess they don't know how they look. ;)

If you keep a serpent or brittle star, feed it. I bet that preempts hunting instincts pretty well.

Micro brittle stars are much more fun.

i wasn't target feeding, i'll look up micro brittle, i was wanting to add some more life to the tank. i read lots of places about green being bad, so i knew to stay away from them.

 

[Jack_L]

If the fish was sick first its most likely. They are opportunistic but I haven't heard of them being hunters. Unless your watchman was Itty bitty and you bought a big star

he seemed fine honestly, he'd come out and say hi everynight at feeding time. if he was sick, i'd expect the nassarius to get him, i've seen them with my own eyes catch a sick fish. i guess they can smell it. in FW my assassins did the same, they would climb up the plants and take out the weak hatchet fish, or tetra and cory, i never expected that out of a snail.

 

[Firefish89]

I saw one of my black serpent stars pick up a piece of fish poop and pop it into its mouth. I've considered them must haves ever since! This website says they are not normally fish eaters, assuming I have identified the right species. https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/210283-Ophiocomina-nigra.

 

[Jack_L]

stubled up this in searching, IDK who this is. at end drops a interesting tidbit though.

says they've had a number of customers bring that back due to eating small fish.

 

[Jack_L]

dupe message, i can't find a way to delete it

 

[Jack_L]

I saw one of my black serpent stars pick up a piece of fish poop and pop it into its mouth. I've considered them must haves ever since! This website says they are not normally fish eaters, assuming I have identified the right species. https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/210283-Ophiocomina-nigra.

I can't get a good picture of it, its "black" but is has grey strips on the tentancles. i guess it will go to the sump

 

[Jack_L]

I just wanted to follow up on this post. I found the yellow watchman. I was feeding the brittle star and the banned bully cardinal that is in the sump, and the yellow watchman came out of my rubble rock to say hi. Keep in mind he was down there with the two brittle stars too. He's now back up in the display tank, and the two brittle stars are still in the sump. I'm not sure how he made it there. He got through the overflow grill, through the strainer on the drain pipe, then out of the sock.

 

[ScottJ]

I just wanted to follow up on this post. I found the yellow watchman. I was feeding the brittle star and the banned bully cardinal that is in the sump, and the yellow watchman came out of my rubble rock to say hi. Keep in mind he was down there with the two brittle stars too. He's now back up in the display tank, and the two brittle stars are still in the sump. I'm not sure how he made it there. He got through the overflow grill, through the strainer on the drain pipe, then out of the sock.

They are escape artists

 

[mcarroll]

I'm not sure how he made it there. He got through the overflow grill, through the strainer on the drain pipe, then out of the sock.

How unimaginative do you think fish are that he would choose that way?!

He went out the top of the tank at an angle, off the wall banking into the sump on thew way down. Style! ;)

 

[Asm481]

Didn't you watch that documentary titled Finding Nemo? Fish are escape artists.

 

[Firefish89]

I have also seen the black serpent stars eat feces, so I agree they are keepers in my book. According to what I've read in most aquarium books, it is the green serpent stars that you have to worry most about.http://www.wetwebmedia.com/brittlestars.htm

 

[mcarroll]

I think color is coincidental to size (seems to be), and size is what dictates their appetite as well as hunting abilities.

So green is only worse than borwn or black (etc) because green has a bigger appetite and hunts even bigger prey.

Not because the other colors are "just scavengers". I think they really only differ in scale.