What's the best sea star?

Mr._Bond · 03-20-2005, 12:38 PM

I'd like to get a sea star. Was thinking red or blue brittle stars. Anyone have any feelings one way or the other?

Birdlady · 03-20-2005, 01:13 PM

http://www.3reef.com/cgi-bin/yabb/Ya...num=1111163793

I thought I was having Deja Vu! LOL!

Birdlady · 03-20-2005, 01:19 PM

Also , check here for lots of star info

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/asterinafaqs.htm

Mr._Bond · 03-20-2005, 07:06 PM

So, Birdlady, you think I should steer clear of a star altogether as if I got one (a colored one at least) that it'd eat my snails, crabs and fish (basically everything in my tank)?

amcarrig · 03-21-2005, 07:01 AM

[quote author=Mr._Bond link=board=Inverts;num=1111351122;start=0#3 date=03/20/05 at 22:06:51](a colored one at least) that it'd eat my snails, crabs and fish (basically everything in my tank)?[/quote]
I'd stay away from brittle stars but I've never had a serpent star of any color eat anything that wasn't already dead.

Birdlady · 03-21-2005, 09:32 AM

OK, my recollection was a bit rusty...I though this thread was about a serpent star..

http://www.3reef.com/cgi-bin/yabb/Ya...7953;start=8#8

Which begs the question, what is the difference between a serpent star and a brittle star? I was under the impression that the names were used interchangeably....(which of course doesn't mean it is correct!)

amcarrig · 03-21-2005, 09:38 AM

You can see the difference between the two here:

http://www.justphish.com/saltwater/c...ockinverts.htm

Notice that the serpent in the upper right hand corner (a.k.a. harlequin starfish) has "smooth" legs where the brittle has "hairy" legs. *

Birdlady · 03-21-2005, 09:39 AM

Here is a good article....

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/cav1i4...chinoderms.htm

amcarrig · 03-21-2005, 09:40 AM

More good pics of brittles here:

http://www.imagequest3d.com/cgi-bin/...ta/ophiuroidea

amcarrig · 03-21-2005, 09:43 AM

[quote author=birdlady link=board=Inverts;num=1111351122;start=0#7 date=03/21/05 at 12:39:32]Here is a good article....

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/cav1i4...chinoderms.htm

[/quote]
Great article:

"However, many are still successful scavengers and predators that eat a variety of worms, snails, crustaceans, and small fishes. Some can even use their arms to hold their disc off the bottom while they sit and wait for a small fish, or other prey animal to swim or crawl under it.

Others are deposit feeders that move around over the bottom picking up bits of this and that, while others burrow through the sediment extracting what they can."

The only brittle star that I've ever heard of eating fish, etc., is the green brittle. That's not to say that other brittles won't eat them but that one is "notorious" for donig so.