Clownfish & brittle star

[velvetelvis]

I have a brittle star that hangs out in the live rock with its arms extended, waiting for passing bits of food. I could swear I just saw my female nigripes trying to get it to host her. I was afraid at first that she was sick and it was trying to eat her, because she was almost lying on her side with the starfish's arms draped over her...but she actually was brushing up against its arms and trying to wiggle against them.

The starfish didn't really seem to react. I only saw the nigripes doing this for a few seconds before she went back to her usual spot in the rocks. I've never seen a clownfish do anything like that before! :hmm2:

 

[Ron Reefman]

Can't say that I've ever heard of a clown looking at a star as a possible place to live. I doubt the star would appreciate the clown being around while it is trying to catch some food. I have 2 good size serpent stars that stick arms out from the rock when I fed. I've taken to putting a piece of shrimp or silversides on a plastic skewer and holding the food down by the star's arms. They come out, wrap around the food and start to pull it off. Then I rotate the skewer a bit and slowly pull up. 95% of the time the food comes off, the star gets it and goes back into the rocks. My stars only show themselves every 2nd or 3rd feedings of the fish. I think the good size piece of shrimp or silversides fills them up for a day or two. And I have 2 percula clowns that spend their nights down by the sand in the left front corner on my tank, which is also where one of the serpent starts hangs out. My clowns have 2 RBTA's and lots of wavy corol to use as a host, but they don't go in anything. And I've never seen my serpent stars make a move on any live animal.