Serpent star behavior

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Shnetts

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This gave me a good chuckle/concern. There’s two main rock structures in my tank. I had a pistol shrimp claim underneath one and a serpent star claim under the other. I’ve maybe seen the pistol 2-3 times in the past year but have known he’s alive from his late night clicks and every morning there’s a new cave going under his rock. I noticed a few days ago my serpent wasn’t in his normal spot and haven’t heard my pistol in a few days.

I just was poking around and found my serpent star had moved into the shrimps burrow and taken all my random shells and I think a few live snails and blocked off the entrances.

Do you think they could have gone at each other? And the star came out on top?
IMG_0444.jpeg
His little barricades lol
 

Tahoe61

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I think the fish is definitely concerned! I think the Shrimp moved the shells.
 
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Shnetts

Shnetts

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He’s just as curious as me. That makes more sense But the shells sat in the same spot for months until the star took over that spot
 

Tahoe61

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He’s just as curious as me. That makes more sense But the shells sat in the same spot for months until the star took over that spot
My logic is that my Pistol used to so the same, and serpent stars don't have the intellectual abilities to purposely arrange or move objects. Serpent star live for one purpose and that's to eat.

:)
 
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Shnetts

Shnetts

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My logic is that my Pistol used to so the same, and serpent stars don't have the intellectual abilities to purposely arrange or move objects. Serpent star live for one purpose and that's to eat.

:)
Huh I didn’t know that. Cool info to know
 

LovinlifeinGuam

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My logic is that my Pistol used to so the same, and serpent stars don't have the intellectual abilities to purposely arrange or move objects. Serpent star live for one purpose and that's to eat.

:)
They're far more intelligent than it sounds like you think, but I agree that it wouldn't rearrange or move things in the tank unless it had to.
 

Tahoe61

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They're far more intelligent than it sounds like you think, but I agree that it wouldn't rearrange or move things in the tank unless it had to.
I have kept and seen many different types in the wild. You're speculating that a Serpent Star can purposely move and arrange objects with intent to build or obstruct an area?
 

LovinlifeinGuam

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I have kept and seen many different types in the wild. You're speculating that a Serpent Star can purposely move and arrange objects with intent to build or obstruct an area?
I specifically stated that I agree that that it wouldn't rearrange or move things in the tank unless it had to. They are far from lacking any complex senses capable of far more than simply living to eat. They may lack a centralized brain, however, their nerve nets are composed of tissues specialized enough to constitute a CNS.
 

Mr. Mojo Rising

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The shrimp can defend itself against the star. I saw it happen twice in my tank.... when my star got too close to my candy pistol, the pistol snapped the star and the star quickly crawled away. It was fascinating.
 
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Shnetts

Shnetts

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Update- they are both alive and living in the same burrow. Kinda cool. I also found a small anemone living under the rock with them too lol.
 

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