Green Brittle Star a Predator?

[FifeReef]

I have heard rare mention that the green brittle star can become a predator and actually hunt down and kill livestock. Does anyone have any experience of this? My seemingly healthy cleaner shrimp went missing yesterday.....upon a closer search I saw his long anteni sticking out of the mouth of my green brittle star. (which has reached pretty good size....main body about the size of a silver dollar). Did he actually catch and eat it, or most likely the shrimp had died on it's own? Thoughts?

 

[fungia]

mine ate a clownfish but i dont know if my clown was healthy when it caught the fish. these guys are carnivores and i think they will eat anything they can catch.

 

[Anonymous]

Ophiarachna incrassata. I suggest being careful with most brittles.

 

[mr_X]

are you sure the shrimp is gone? could it possibly be the product of a successful molting that the starfish is munching on?
he might still pop up.

 

[Anonymous]

I ordered a harmless one and got one of these instead. I now keep it in my sump.

 

[Anonymous]

I have heard rare mention that the green brittle star can become a predator and actually hunt down and kill livestock. Does anyone have any experience of this? My seemingly healthy cleaner shrimp went missing yesterday.....upon a closer search I saw his long anteni sticking out of the mouth of my green brittle star. (which has reached pretty good size....main body about the size of a silver dollar). Did he actually catch and eat it, or most likely the shrimp had died on it's own? Thoughts?

I've had one for about 3 or 4 years now. Keep him fed, and you won't have any problems.

 

[Kasey]

MY LFS actually lists on the Green Brittle Star tank "Caution, will eat livestock".

 

[Anonymous]

Upon image searching on Google, I find that there are many starfishes "identified" as Ophiarachna incrassata. This makes things difficult at best. While I personally can't recommend wings' method, if it works you might want to try it. Much like "keeping" a mantis shrimp.

 

[FifeReef]

Thanks for the responsed guys. I've moved him to my refugium for now.

 

[Anonymous]

He'll be quite happy there (fewer animals to bother him). You can more easily target feed as well.

If you want good stars for the display, I have always recommended serpent stars. Some are delicate, but if you're keeping stonies easily you should have no troubles with these animals. There's a lovely Caribbean species I've got a photo of somewhere, but I can't recollect the genus, let alone the species. If you have time and are of a mind, I do suggest searching wetwebmedia.com (I believe it's my www link).

 

[brandonberry]

I've had a green brittle star for years as well and have never had any problem with it eating fish, shrimp, or anyhing else that wasn't dead. Even though they are fast compared to other echinoderms, they are still extremely slow compared to fish, shrimp, etc. I have a hard time believing that they could catch a healthy fish or shrimp. Even if they cornered a fish in a crevice, I don't think their grip would be stong enough to restrain a healthy fish. I've posted this before, and I'll post it again. If anyone has actually seen a green brittle star eat a healthy fish, please respond. So far I have never seen a post where anyone claims to have witnessed this. If anyone else has, please link us to it.