starfish that lights up.

[healthyhabit]

I had a small star that I could only see at night when lights are off and I would grab a flash light to see what the night life was like in the tank. I could not identify it and decided to get rid of it the third time I spotted it. When I grabed its leg with my hemosatats it started flashing a dull frorecent blue. I thought my actinics where comming on and it scared the hell out of me.It disapeared minus one leg. Can I keep this and is there any way to make it light up with out riping off an other leg?... Dale in manchester NH.

 

[SuperLeet]

hi, i need more info. Is it a brittle star? If it is i know exactly what species it is.

I had one!

They are really cool. I used to love mine. It came in some fiji rock. Ill look up the name if its a brittle, but off the top of my head i think its o. riisly I know i didnt spell that right, but whatever.


Ok, feed it brineshrimp by using a turkey baster to shoot it into its arms. Its usually out only at night, whenever an object, ie shrimp hit the arms, they will light up. heres your big word for the day:
BIOLUMINESENCE, the same stuff fireflies use to light up.

Although these little guys arnt classified as RARE, It is a great thing to add variety to your tank. Treat him as you would your most valuble coral. If you dont want him ill take him!

 

[healthyhabit]

It looks like a brittle not as many spines. With the flash light it appears off white with lite pink/red bands. It never moved as fast as my other brittle stars when food entered the tank. I'm glad somone could validate this. The local shops made no bones about it. I must have forgot to take my mouth off the siphon hose during a salt water change. Salt water made me crazy. I've not seen it since I pulled it's leg. I can't wait to see it and feed it again to entertain a lady friend. Thanks again

 

[Lunchbucket]

damn that thing sounds cool as hell!! where can i get one??

they harm anything??

later
Lunchbucket

 

[SuperLeet]

Ill post the exerpt from my book about your star tomorrow, today im too tired!

 

[ophiuroid]

Hi folks....
The little guy is likely to be Amphipholis squamata or a relative...there are not too many brittlestars with such abilities that are found in our tanks. There is information, and further links, on my brittlestars page (below). Once you get to the main page, go to the "Tabloids" section....it is a little ways down under "Aquatic firelflies." There is a nice online presentation about research on these animals. The flashes are a defense mechanism.

Yet another cool thing about brittlestars!!

Enjoy!
Amphipholis squamata
(from website: http://lifesci.ucsb.edu/~biolum/forum/sdupont1.html)

Amphiura filiformis (from: http://lifesci.ucsb.edu/~biolum/forum/ydewael1.html)

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Brittlestars!! http://home.att.net/~ophiuroid
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[ August 07, 2001: Message edited by: ophiuroid ]

 

[davelin315]

ophiuroid- since you have your own web page on brittle stars, you don't happen to sell or trade them, do you? I've been looking to add a few of the tiny ones and don't want to pay IPSF prices.

 

[ophiuroid]

Sorry, don't have any...mostly deal with dead one's!! Though perhaps I will start a rescue for the green serpent stars one of these days.

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Brittlestars!! http://home.att.net/~ophiuroid
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