SauceyReef
Valuable Member
ID on these little starfish? I am thinking micro brittle stars - just want to be sure before I take some home and add to the tank.
ID on these little starfish?
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Brittle star
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SauceyReef
Valuable Member
Is there a possibility they are baby Tiger Brittle stars? The lady who has them is saying that is what they are. I just want to be sure these are not going to get huge and be predatory as I have many small commensal shrimp.
My tank is reaching the year mark and I still have yet to get any micro brittle stars which is why I am trying to find some. I think they are so cool, and starfish in general. I have a nano tank so the micro brittles really are the only ones suitable IMO.
My tank is reaching the year mark and I still have yet to get any micro brittle stars which is why I am trying to find some. I think they are so cool, and starfish in general. I have a nano tank so the micro brittles really are the only ones suitable IMO.
Yes it is possible. The arms could keep growing and turn out to be the tiger species, the colors of yours match the tiger variant. The micros I kept were Black and Tan
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SauceyReef
Valuable Member
I spoke with the lady more last night. She is very adamant of them being the offspring of 2 tiger brittle stars. How do brittle stars even give birth? Do they bud? Spawn? Release the young like a seahorse?
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SauceyReef
Valuable Member
I am thinking that as well. I am trying to question how exactly they were "born" but did not get an answer. I am just going to tell her that regardless what species they are I will take as many as she can get! Oh the things one will do to get some micro brittle stars in their fuge haha
Tired
2500 Club Member
I think those are the "black" micro brittles. I say "black" in quotes because people refer to them as black micros, but they're actually striped like you see. They get to about 2-3" across, so are much larger than the white micro brittles, but are still harmless and highly beneficial detritivores.
TriggerFinger
2500 Club Member
Get as many as you can!!! I’ll buy some if you ever feel like you have too many
Tired
2500 Club Member
Oh, and black micro brittles do spawn in aquaria. It's been observed. They all go up to the top of the rocks at some signal they recognize, and either release eggs or sperm into the water. Those combine into fertile eggs, which settle and hatch. Other brittle stars could reasonably spawn in aquaria too, if given the right conditions.
(Also, seahorses produce young the same way other fish do, for the most part. Except that the female lays eggs into the male's pouch to be fertilized and carried.)
(Also, seahorses produce young the same way other fish do, for the most part. Except that the female lays eggs into the male's pouch to be fertilized and carried.)
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SauceyReef
Valuable Member
Again she is VERY adamant that these are the babies of a pair of Tiger Brittles they had for years. But she also had never heard of micro brittle stars. Hmmm...
Well even if they are Tiger Brittle Stars it will be cool to watch them grow and if they get to large or predatorial I can remove them from the tank. I have lots of small commensal inverts (sexy shrimp / anemone shrimp) and never got any starfish to avoid the possibility of them hunting anything. I don't want another burden of having to target feed something every day - I already have to many critters that require this.
Well even if they are Tiger Brittle Stars it will be cool to watch them grow and if they get to large or predatorial I can remove them from the tank. I have lots of small commensal inverts (sexy shrimp / anemone shrimp) and never got any starfish to avoid the possibility of them hunting anything. I don't want another burden of having to target feed something every day - I already have to many critters that require this.
Tired
2500 Club Member
You could ask her how long ago she first saw the "babies", and if they've been growing since then. I suppose it's possible they're the offspring of her tiger stars? But they sure look like black micro brittles to me.
If they do turn out to be tiger brittles, you can catch 'em out once they start to grow. If not, a few of them will do quite well in your tank without any extra feeding, and they definitely aren't any threat to your sexy shrimp.
If they do turn out to be tiger brittles, you can catch 'em out once they start to grow. If not, a few of them will do quite well in your tank without any extra feeding, and they definitely aren't any threat to your sexy shrimp.
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SauceyReef
Valuable Member
Awesome! Yes this was going to be my plan of action. I did question her about the timing and it seems to match up with when she saw them "spawn."
Time will tell! First she has to catch them and actually give them to me. Fingers crossed I can get some.
Tired
2500 Club Member
It's entirely possible hers did spawn, is the thing. But they might have both been one sex, or they might not have successfully reproduced for some other reason. Or maybe the micro brittles spawned and she thought the cloudiness was from the regular brittles. Or both spawned at the same time.
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