LARGE BRITTLE STARS! EATING FISH?????

[Russ J.]

My fish are disappearing !! I have 2 -- LARGE - 24'' dia. brittle stars. One
is brown the other is Black/white. They are HUGE. Body size about a half
dollar. Already missing a FLAME ANGEL about 4" in length , a Clown , a Red
lipped blenny,and a Royal Gramma. These fish simply vanished overnite!!! Can
the brittle stars be getting them??? I thought they were scavengers. !! The
stars were only about 8" dia. when I got them 2 years ago. At nite the brown
one 'Hangs out " all over the tank. They really are pretty neat to watch,
but I don't want to feed them my $60.00 Flame Angels. Does anyone think
these guys are attacking the sleeping fish at nite? I'd rather see a Flame
during the day than use a flashlite at nite to watcha britle star move
around.

thanks


RHJ

[Yukon]

"Russ J." > wrote in message . com...
> My fish are disappearing !! I have 2 -- LARGE - 24'' dia. brittle stars. One is brown the other is Black/white. They are HUGE.
> Body size about a half dollar. Already missing a FLAME ANGEL about 4" in length , a Clown , a Red lipped blenny,and a Royal
> Gramma. These fish simply vanished overnite!!! Can the brittle stars be getting them??? I thought they were scavengers. !! The
> stars were only about 8" dia. when I got them 2 years ago. At nite the brown one 'Hangs out " all over the tank. They really are
> pretty neat to watch, but I don't want to feed them my $60.00 Flame Angels. Does anyone think these guys are attacking the
> sleeping fish at nite? I'd rather see a Flame during the day than use a flashlite at nite to watcha britle star move around.
>
> thanks
>
>
> RHJ
>

I had a green brittle star eat a couple clowns. Saw one clown right in it's mouth, so yes
this is very possible.

[Brian W]

I concur - I have a brittle star (serpent star) and he munched his way
through $60 worth of peppermint shrimp and some snails before I figured out
he had gourmet tastes and was dining out at night.
When brittle stars start getting restless, it means they're getting hungry -
also watch for them adopting the "spider-doing-pushups" position. They drop
down on their prey from above when the fish (or whatever) swim through the
cage of their arms. I target feed him every couple of days now.
I too thought they were strictly scavengers... apparently not.

B
"Yukon" > wrote in message
ink.net...
>
> "Russ J." > wrote in message
. com...
> > My fish are disappearing !! I have 2 -- LARGE - 24'' dia. brittle stars.
One is brown the other is Black/white. They are HUGE.
> > Body size about a half dollar. Already missing a FLAME ANGEL about 4" in
length , a Clown , a Red lipped blenny,and a Royal
> > Gramma. These fish simply vanished overnite!!! Can the brittle stars be
getting them??? I thought they were scavengers. !! The
> > stars were only about 8" dia. when I got them 2 years ago. At nite the
brown one 'Hangs out " all over the tank. They really are
> > pretty neat to watch, but I don't want to feed them my $60.00 Flame
Angels. Does anyone think these guys are attacking the
> > sleeping fish at nite? I'd rather see a Flame during the day than use a
flashlite at nite to watcha britle star move around.
> >
> > thanks
> >
> >
> > RHJ
> >
>
> I had a green brittle star eat a couple clowns. Saw one clown right in
it's mouth, so yes
> this is very possible.
>
>

[George]

"Russ J." > wrote in message
. com...
> My fish are disappearing !! I have 2 -- LARGE - 24'' dia. brittle stars. One
> is brown the other is Black/white. They are HUGE. Body size about a half
> dollar. Already missing a FLAME ANGEL about 4" in length , a Clown , a Red
> lipped blenny,and a Royal Gramma. These fish simply vanished overnite!!! Can
> the brittle stars be getting them??? I thought they were scavengers. !! The
> stars were only about 8" dia. when I got them 2 years ago. At nite the brown
> one 'Hangs out " all over the tank. They really are pretty neat to watch, but
> I don't want to feed them my $60.00 Flame Angels. Does anyone think these guys
> are attacking the sleeping fish at nite? I'd rather see a Flame during the
> day than use a flashlite at nite to watcha britle star move around.
>
> thanks
>
>
> RHJ

Brittle stars are scavangers, that is true. However, if there is nothing for
them to eat, they will eat anything they can catch. I've seen one eat a
long-tentacled anemone. It made the bugger very sick, the tentacles literally
ate a hole all the way through the body of the brittle star. He hid for months.
When he came out, he was completely healed (amazing, I know). They are ambush
predators (they usually find an area traveled by prey and will sit nearby (or
just above) and wait for an unsuspecting meal to swim too close. I've seen mine
do this many times. They are fond of hiding in a large cavity in the rocks and
wait for a fish to go in there for there night. I have a 18" green brittle star
that I' have for about 9 years. You have to feed them occasionally (I feed mine
about once/week, and he also eats any food that the fish don't eat), or they
will go after your fish. They like cut up shrimp, brine shrimp, and mine will
even eat fish or crab pellets. If you keep them fed, they will leave your fish
alone. I've only lost one fish to my brittle star in the nine years that I have
had it, and that one appeared to get sick right before it disapppeared.

Oh, and contrary to popular belief, brittle stars have many eyes and can see
quite well. If I walk up to my tank when my brittle star is out, it will
immediately pull itself beneath a rock, even though I have not cast a shadow on
the tank. If you look at the surface of one, you will note tiny pores that are
part of their vasular system. If you also look closely, you will see hundreds
of small white or light-colored spots on the body and the appendages. Those are
the lenses of their eyes. Imagine being able to poke your finger around a
corner and seeing what's there!

[Russ J.]

I guess the green ones are more prone to eating fish!, but the brown and B&w
ones do also. My tank is clean ( probably due to the "STARS"), but I can't
babysit at night. A couple of the fish that did disappear looked a little
weak the day before they were gone . ( Doesn't give one a chance to try
anything - does it ). I'm tempted to trade them in and buy more fish !
( maybe get a few smaller serpent stars)-

Thanks everyone



"Russ J." > wrote in message
. com...
> My fish are disappearing !! I have 2 -- LARGE - 24'' dia. brittle stars.
> One is brown the other is Black/white. They are HUGE. Body size about a
> half dollar. Already missing a FLAME ANGEL about 4" in length , a Clown ,
> a Red lipped blenny,and a Royal Gramma. These fish simply vanished
> overnite!!! Can the brittle stars be getting them??? I thought they were
> scavengers. !! The stars were only about 8" dia. when I got them 2 years
> ago. At nite the brown one 'Hangs out " all over the tank. They really are
> pretty neat to watch, but I don't want to feed them my $60.00 Flame
> Angels. Does anyone think these guys are attacking the sleeping fish at
> nite? I'd rather see a Flame during the day than use a flashlite at nite
> to watcha britle star move around.
>
> thanks
>
>
> RHJ
>

[Aquacare]

YES, I have one right now in my basement system because he was eating fish
in a reef. The customer saw it. ! He was eating shrimp and snails also..

Aquacare