Brittle Star Identification

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I'm looking to identify my brittle star.

i don't see it on:
http://www.photovault.com/Link/Animals/Aquatic/oEchinoderms/AAOVolume01.html

http://www.photovault.com/Link/Animals/Aquatic/oEchinoderms/show.asp?tg=AAOVolume01/AAOV01P03_13
and
http://www.photovault.com/Link/Animals/Aquatic/oEchinoderms/show.asp?tg=AAOVolume01/AAOV01P03_16.2564
are close.

I think it might be
Western Spiny Brittle Star (Ophiothrix spiculata )
or Burrowing brittle star (Amphiodia occidentalis)

It doesn't seem to burrow, hopefully not because of my
substrate. (coral gravel, although there is a patch of sand which i am
slowly expanding.)

I've read the wetwebmedia site. not too much on the specifics.
is there a good ID site out there?
If i get pictures, what details will help with the ID?

Mostly I'm trying to see how often i should feed the little bugger.

I'm looking for some guidlines along the lines of "feed meat 1/4 the
central disk volume twice a week". The central disk looks emaciated to
me... and i'm not sure if it's supposed to look like that.

Tank parameters:
20 gallon,
Tank Substrate: 90% 1-2" deep coral gravel, 10% 1-2 inch coral sand.
mostly open

Filtration: 1 (over the back) whisper + 1 in tank powerhead
(don't have flow rates here) mechanical/biological
filtration only. (no carbon)
Temperature: 72-74 deg
lights: 40 W florescent, (20W "grow light", 20W "ordinary")

Inhabitants:
1 unknown red/brown spiny brittle star (splayed diameter = 12")
50-100 Halocaridina rubra
1 sea hare - (MIA for 4 days... perhaps lunch)
1 peppermint shrimp (Lysmata wurdemanni?)
4-5 branches (each 6-15") branching rock
4-5 small brittles (splayed diameter 2")
Lots of various sp macro algae (it's a jungle in there)
10-15 mexican blue toe hermets
4-6 snails of various sizes/species
varied microflora. (I keep the water pumps covered with
green scrubby pads)
4-5 striped mushroom anemomies (looks like the green/brown
ones at the top of:
http://animal-world.com/encyclo/reef/corallimorph/corallimorph.htm)
various small white sponges (look like q-tip ends with hole)

side question.... what are people's thoughts on the capability of
macroalgae to lock up/remove dissolved organics? (since i do not have
a protein skimmer)

--
be safe.
flip
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[Dinky]

> wrote in message
. edu...
| Temperature: 72-74 deg


I don't know about the star, but I'm curious about why you're keeping
the temp this low. I've read a couple articles that say reefers are
keeping their tanks too cold at 78-80F, and here you are at 72.<g>

billy

[Philip Lewis]

"Dinky" > writes:
> wrote in message
. edu...
>| Temperature: 72-74 deg
>I don't know about the star, but I'm curious about why you're keeping
>the temp this low. I've read a couple articles that say reefers are

well.. most of the critters i have in the tank are actually tidal pool
critters (not sure about the pep shrimp and mushrooms, though i doubt
it) capable of handling temperature fluctuations.

We keep the house a bit cool (< 62), and you'd be suprised how much a
difference 6 degrees makes in evaporation... ;)

I'm sure things will heat up in the summer, hopefully not *too* much
since i have no chiller.

Everyone seems to be happy at this point... even the mushrooms are at
full extention...

--
be safe.
flip
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