Serpent/Brittle Starfish being predatory?

saltwaterfish.com

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 6, 2023
Messages
531
Reaction score
484
Location
Vero Beach
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Have you ever seen your serpent or brittle starfish hunting your tank mates? I know they are opportunistic feeders so they usually eat leftover or uneaten food but if there is not enough food to go around I have heard of them actively hunting any stationary marine life near them. Has anybody experienced this?
 
In general, green brittle (Ophiarachna incrassata) stars are more predatory, while common black brittle stars are primarily opportunistic scavengers. Large individuals may still capture small fish or invertebrates when hungry.

You can't go by color alone due to the number of species, but if it's green, then a good bet would be to avoid it in a community tank.

I had an amazing huge green one in the sump for years. It met an unfortunate end, unfortunately. It, like me, liked bacon.

I sometimes consider getting another, but protecting pump intakes is too much trouble.
 

TOP 10 Trending Threads

WHICH FLOW PROBLEM IS HARDEST TO SOLVE IN YOUR REEF?

  • Eliminating dead spots

    Votes: 7 25.9%
  • Keeping sand from blowing around

    Votes: 4 14.8%
  • Balancing flow for different coral types

    Votes: 6 22.2%
  • Creating random or turbulent movement

    Votes: 2 7.4%
  • Finding effective pump placement

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Managing noise or vibration

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Keeping pumps hidden and accessible

    Votes: 2 7.4%
  • I still feel like I’m mostly guessing

    Votes: 6 22.2%
  • Other (Comment in the thread)

    Votes: 0 0.0%
Back
Top
Home
Post thread…
Market
What's new