Brittle Starfish ate my Torch

[SquidwardTentacles05]

Dude at an lfs said they will eat fish when they get bigger...

True

 

[twentyleagues]

True

No.
While they can and will eat fish most do not hunt your fish and will only eat a fish if it is dead or dying. Certain ones will hunt your fish the green serpent stars for example. Most are scavengers. So saying yes to a blanket statement that is not correct is also not correct.

 

[Crabs+Shrimps-69]

No.
While they can and will eat fish most do not hunt your fish and will only eat a fish if it is dead or dying. Certain ones will hunt your fish the green serpent stars for example. Most are scavengers. So saying yes to a blanket statement that is not correct is also not correct.

The green ones aren't the only fish hunters?

 

[twentyleagues]

The green ones aren't the only fish hunters?

Not the only ones other brittle stars and serpent stars can but usually wont. There is a brittle star I was told years ago that is almost exclusively a predator. Looks more "spiky" than the normal ones, the spikes look defensive but apparently they use the longer spikes to help trap prey. The reason for "knowing" this, the lfs had this one come in and they put it in a tank with damsels. I was told the damsels started to disappear that night, one of the employees caught it in the act. The lfs did say they did research and found out what it was, Suenson's brittle star.

Not my pic got it off google.
If you do any bit of research this is like the rest of the brittle stars scavenger, some film algaes, and filter feeds using the "spikes" on its arms from the water column. Not a predator, but the one they had was caught red handed eating a damsel after 3 days and 3 missing damsels daily.

 

[Crabs+Shrimps-69]

Not the only ones other brittle stars and serpent stars can but usually wont. There is a brittle star I was told years ago that is almost exclusively a predator. Looks more "spiky" than the normal ones, the spikes look defensive but apparently they use the longer spikes to help trap prey. The reason for "knowing" this, the lfs had this one come in and they put it in a tank with damsels. I was told the damsels started to disappear that night, one of the employees caught it in the act. The lfs did say they did research and found out what it was, Suenson's brittle star.

Not my pic got it off google.
If you do any bit of research this is like the rest of the brittle stars scavenger, some film algaes, and filter feeds using the "spikes" on its arms from the water column. Not a predator, but the one they had was caught red handed eating a damsel after 3 days and 3 missing damsels daily.

If it's not predatory like the green one it probably just wasn't getting fed enough or is more aggressive than the normal ones.
Lucky damsels were the ones getting eating instead of more expensive fish.

 

[SquidwardTentacles05]

Will banded serpent star eat fish

 

[SquidwardTentacles05]

Will banded serpent star eat fish

I am planning to get a few clownfish, and I have a banded serpent star.

 

[Crabs+Shrimps-69]

Will banded serpent star eat fish

It won't hunt fish like the green one does.
I'm also thinking of getting one with clownfish.

 

[twentyleagues]

Will banded serpent star eat fish

Its possible but not probable. If you insure its getting food it wont. They are scavengers mostly but if hungry enough it may resort to hunting fish in the tank. Its not hard to make sure its eating just hand it a chunk of meaty food 1-2 times a week and whatever else its scavenging will suffice.