predatory amphipod

[Wiz]

Got some vid this morning of an amphipod eating one of my micro brittles. I have other live micro brittles and my "bugs" are all fine. So I'm thinking it was killed and eaten by the pod. I thought they were solely scavengers. I suppose I did not see the kill so I could be wrong.

 

[Lionfish Lair]

That starfish looks like it's dead.... like dead dead and stiff. If he were the one killing it, I would expect it to be struggling.

 

[Wiz]

Yeah, I wasn't sure. All the legs are missing. So I assumed the pod had had it for a while. It could have been though. I still have plenty of them alive so I thought " why would it have died".

 

[Wiz]

Maybe its me. But if you watch one leg constantly they do appear to bend a bit and unbend. You have to watch close. And it could be my imagination. But it looks to me like one bends different ways and another bends and unbends. Its possable its me seeing what I'm thinking. Lol

 

[Lionfish Lair]

I have never seen one just laying there.... dead. But I guess everything dies, so someone has been cleaning up the bodies. I would love for you to get footage of one jumping on a live star.

I'm not working, do you want me to come over and hold the camera all day :-)

 

[Lionfish Lair]

Maybe its me. But if you watch one leg constantly they do appear to bend a bit and unbend. You have to watch close. And it could be my imagination. But it looks to me like one bends different ways and another bends and unbends. Its possable its me seeing what I'm thinking. Lol

But that could fall under the "dead and dying", wouldn't it? I have no doubt they show up to the going away party early and would never trust an amphipod. You would make me year if you got that on video.

 

[Wiz]

I'm not working, do you want me to come over and hold the camera all day :)

And steal my fun?? Lol

 

[Lionfish Lair]

Then again, people would become "afraid" of amphipods. There would be threads everywhere "How do I get rid of my killer amphipods".

 

[Wiz]

Now im gonna catch a few micro brittles and give them to my pods! ;-)

But that could fall under the "dead and dying", wouldn't it? I have no doubt they show up to the going away party early and would never trust an amphipod. You would make me year if you got that on video.

 

[kireek]

I am interested in reading about other members experience with predatory amniopods.I suspect that they were responsible for the rapid decline of several of my zoas colonies. I wouldn't put it beyond them to eat star fish.Especially a weakened one.

 

[E048]

It's eating a dead star... It's pulsing because of the water flow... Amphipods will eat copepods though

 

[Wiz]

It's eating a dead star... It's pulsing because of the water flow... Amphipods will eat copepods though

Its possible that its dying and that's why the pod has it. But there is very little flow there. I don't think that's it. I plan on experimenting as soon as I can catch a star or two. We shall see