Stars and Clowns and Anemones, Oh My.

I've always heard the green serpent stars are NOT reef safe. I have a
brown brittle star that has been absolutely fine with my anemones. He
is at least 10 inches across. I've had him for at least 6 months. He
tends to hide most of the time and comes out at feeding times. After
Chip made a play for the anemones he moved on to try to eat the brown
star. Its interesting watching the brittle star "run" around the tank.

I did a quick search for the match to my brown brittle before the
previous post and couldn't find any reference to anything other than
the green serpent star. That is why I posted I was going to head for
the LFS and get a serpent star. When I make the trip Friday I'm going
to try for another brown brittle star. At one time I had about 100
little baby stars crawling in and out of all the cracks in the rocks.
They were awesome to watch. Then I brought home a Green Emperor Goby
and 3 Yellow Tangs. The stars quickly disappeared. I still find a few
hiding in my Fluval canister at cleaning times.

BTW - I would post more scientific names if I new them. I really need
to figure out all I have and keep track of it so I can accurately
describe any issues when they arise.

Wayne Sallee wrote:
There is a green star fish that is often called a brittle
star, and sometimes called a serpent star. It's nature is
like half way between the two. In some ways it's not as
bad as a serpent star, but it is not as good as a brittle
star.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



George wrote on 12/21/2006 5:18 PM:
"Wayne Sallee" wrote in message
news
Get a brittle, not a serpent.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets


Brittle stars will eat anemones as well. At least my green one does,
especially if they aren't doing too well.

George

"Wayne Sallee" wrote in message
nk.net...
There is a green star fish that is often called a brittle star, and
sometimes called a serpent star. It's nature is like half way between the
two. In some ways it's not as bad as a serpent star, but it is not as
good as a brittle star.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets


Here is what my brittle star looks like (what you can see of it - note:
This image is several years old, so it is now larger than it was in this
image).

http://tinyurl.com/y9f5cq

George

wrote:

in my tank. Nevermind. I just researched this at
http://www.thatpetplace.com/LiveFish...25/Detail.aspx
and noticed he is not a reef safe additive. Time to trade Chip in on
another banded serpent. Oh well. Another trip to the LFS. I wonder what
else will come home with me ...

I've found during my own research that pretty much any starfish that
has any kind of "knob" on it, is not reef safe. Distant relationship to
those Crown of Thorns monstrosities that are giving the Australians
fits at the Great Barrier Reef?

and any of the serpent stars will hunt fish when they get big.

Yep, that's the creature.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



George wrote on 12/21/2006 10:55 PM:
"Wayne Sallee" wrote in message
nk.net...
There is a green star fish that is often called a brittle star, and
sometimes called a serpent star. It's nature is like half way between the
two. In some ways it's not as bad as a serpent star, but it is not as
good as a brittle star.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets


Here is what my brittle star looks like (what you can see of it - note:
This image is several years old, so it is now larger than it was in this
image).

http://tinyurl.com/y9f5cq

George

Wayne Sallee wrote:
Yep, that's the creature.

Hm, I have a 12" version of this critter that came with the tank. I
knew it was a brittle star, but I couldn't nail down the exact type. I
feed it a chunk of shrimp now and then.

I also have two missing yellow tail damsils. Not that i care about
them, but I'm thinking this guy is the culprit as they liked to hide and
sleep in the crevices. Seems like I've been removing lots of animals
lately.

--Kurt

Yea, sometimes they are called brittle stars, and some
times they are call serpent. They are like half way
between. They are a risk to a reef tank.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



KurtG wrote on 12/22/2006 5:18 PM:
Wayne Sallee wrote:
Yep, that's the creature.

Hm, I have a 12" version of this critter that came with the tank. I
knew it was a brittle star, but I couldn't nail down the exact type. I
feed it a chunk of shrimp now and then.

I also have two missing yellow tail damsils. Not that i care about
them, but I'm thinking this guy is the culprit as they liked to hide and
sleep in the crevices. Seems like I've been removing lots of animals
lately.

--Kurt

"Wayne Sallee" wrote in message
nk.net...
Yea, sometimes they are called brittle stars, and some times they are
call serpent. They are like half way between. They are a risk to a reef
tank.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



Umm, Wayne. That IS a green brittle star. It is Ophiarachna incrassata.
It is not a true starfish. Starfish are in the class Asteroidea. Brittle
stars are in the class Ophiuroidea. Yes, large ones are a risk to
dedicated reef tanks, and can gobble up one's favorite fish (or shrimp,
certain corals, and even large anemones). Those who do keep them in such
tanks would be advised to keep them well fed. They relish bits of shrimp.
They move around quite rapidly when they want to, and are one of the few
types of echinoderms that have multiple lenses for light gathering (some
say that they can actually see images, but I have no proof one way or the
other with this claim).

Having said that, my tank is not a full-blown reef tank. It contains
mostly live rock and sea sand, with a few hardy corals that came with the
rock, a colony of star polyps, one leather coral, a few extraneous small
anemones, and assorted cleaner crews, including snails, limpets, small
hermit crabs, and assorted small crustaceans and feather worms (I've also
seen some glass sponges browing in my refugium). I also have two breeding
maroon clownfish that get along with the brittle star just fine. I've had
the female since 1991. I've had the brittle star since 1994. Anything
that it can/will eat it has already done so. It has definitely been one of
the more interesting animals I've ever kept. And I've been surprised at
how hardy it is. They are being intensely studied because of their very
strong immune system and incredible ability to regenerate their body parts.
The lenses of their "eyes" are also being studied by the telecom industry
because these calcite lenses apparently have properties that make them a
good candidate for use with fiber optic systems (if they can figure out how
to mass synthesize them in high quality).

George

There is a difference between the "green brittle", and
what we all call a brittle star.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



George wrote on 12/22/2006 10:11 PM:
"Wayne Sallee" wrote in message
nk.net...
Yea, sometimes they are called brittle stars, and some times they are
call serpent. They are like half way between. They are a risk to a reef
tank.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



Umm, Wayne. That IS a green brittle star. It is Ophiarachna incrassata.
It is not a true starfish. Starfish are in the class Asteroidea. Brittle
stars are in the class Ophiuroidea. Yes, large ones are a risk to
dedicated reef tanks, and can gobble up one's favorite fish (or shrimp,
certain corals, and even large anemones). Those who do keep them in such
tanks would be advised to keep them well fed. They relish bits of shrimp.
They move around quite rapidly when they want to, and are one of the few
types of echinoderms that have multiple lenses for light gathering (some
say that they can actually see images, but I have no proof one way or the
other with this claim).

Having said that, my tank is not a full-blown reef tank. It contains
mostly live rock and sea sand, with a few hardy corals that came with the
rock, a colony of star polyps, one leather coral, a few extraneous small
anemones, and assorted cleaner crews, including snails, limpets, small
hermit crabs, and assorted small crustaceans and feather worms (I've also
seen some glass sponges browing in my refugium). I also have two breeding
maroon clownfish that get along with the brittle star just fine. I've had
the female since 1991. I've had the brittle star since 1994. Anything
that it can/will eat it has already done so. It has definitely been one of
the more interesting animals I've ever kept. And I've been surprised at
how hardy it is. They are being intensely studied because of their very
strong immune system and incredible ability to regenerate their body parts.
The lenses of their "eyes" are also being studied by the telecom industry
because these calcite lenses apparently have properties that make them a
good candidate for use with fiber optic systems (if they can figure out how
to mass synthesize them in high quality).

George

"Wayne Sallee" wrote in message
nk.net...
There is a difference between the "green brittle", and what we all call a
brittle star.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets


And that would be? Come on. Out with it, already. :-)

George

One is behavior that we were discussing, but also look a
the visible difference. A serpent star is smooth, and a
brittle star has lot's of appendages, and a "green
brittle/serpent" is smooth with *some* appendages, but not
nearly as much as a brittle star.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



George wrote on 12/23/2006 4:36 PM:
"Wayne Sallee" wrote in message
nk.net...
There is a difference between the "green brittle", and what we all call a
brittle star.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets


And that would be? Come on. Out with it, already. :-)

George