Urchin munching on Starfish

[sangria517]

So I recently purchased a biscuit starfish from a frag swap. He has been doing OK in the tank not moving around a whole bunch, but I saw that’s fairly common for starfish. My sand sifter is speed McQueen in my tank and I have a special six legged Fromis who is also fairly fast. I know in general they’re not fast and they will tentatively hang out in one area. Today I noticed he was on the sand which I thought was weird so I was poking around and come to find out my urchin had munched off one of his legs. So I’m trying to figure out one if the starfish is gonna make it to was the urchin munching on him because he might already be on the way out. I put him in a basket real quick and he is still moving a little bit. Any advice? Or is this just normal Mother Nature?

 

[BryanM]

I believe urchins are primarily herbivores, so if it was really the urchin that did this it could be that it is starving, not enough algae/etc for it to eat.

 

[sangria517]

I know a couple online retailers list them as herbivores but everything I have read from education sites, aquariums, etc list them as omnivores.

 

[SquidwardTentacles05]

The urchin is most likely trying to defend itself.

 

[spasmolytic13]

Nope seen a sea urchin eat a Asteria star, pick it to pieces one night. Looked like a suck way to die.