ID please

[rhorn67]

I noticed some of my zoas starting to recede a bit and not looking too happy. I pulled the frag out to give it a dip and found two of these under the frag. Both with 3 legs and a triangular shaped head. Serpent star of some sort?

 

[PsychoticBeauty]

Maybe this link will help. (Ophiuroidea)

http://www.lionfishlair.com/hitchhiker.shtml

 

[rhorn67]

Thanks for the link but no dice. Whatever it is seems to have two small white pincers or something on the flat piece that doesn't have a leg. Kind of looks like micro brittle stars minus a few legs.

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

It's a harmless micro brittle star. Looks like it's growing new legs.

 

[Reefermatt3]

Agree^^^

 

[rhorn67]

I thought the legs looked like a brittle star as well. I think what has me questioning is the fact that I found two of them with only three legs and the body shape seems more like a triangle then a pentagon. Do they commonly lose legs?

 

[CarrieB]

Maybe one that split? Can they do that?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[rhorn67]

not sure about splitting.

 

[Maritimer]

Asterina stars split routinely.

I don't know about the micro brittlestars, but they reproduce in our tanks _somehow_...

What you've got really looks like half of a micro brittle star - they sometimes have six arms. Like Asterina.

~Bruce

 

[Ron Reefman]

A better pic would help. And maybe one of it turned over so we could see the other side of the body.

I'd guess a star as well. Maybe you have couple of mutants? Like the 4 pointed Bahamian star I found (see avatar).

 

[rhorn67]

Unfortunately I don't have other pics. It seems like the consensus is it's a brittle star. I have an island rock that I will be pulling out to frag some starbursts. I think I have seen some in this rock.

Thank you for all of the help I appreciate it.