Orange Sea Star Ripped Apart?

[alexabretske]

So I've had an orange sea star in my tank for a good 4 months now, but I've had the star itself for almost a year.

Today I came home and found pieces of it all over my tank.

I did just go out and buy a new clean-up crew yesterday. I can't imagine anything tearing the limbs off my star, but here's what I got.
-20 Hermit Crabs (a few are walking around without shells on... weird)
-A large brittle star
-5 Throwing star snails
-6 Turbos
-3 Emerald Crabs

I tested the water when I went to the store and everything came back fine. The only equipment I have is a few power heads, a protein skimmer, and my light. The poor little guy was hanging out with 2 clowns, a green chromis, a peppermint and a cleaner shrimp.

Anyone have any clue what could have done that?

 

[JenC2012]

Does it look like the limbs are viable, he could be asexually reproducing, it is common for them to drop a limb to grow an offspring.

 

[alexabretske]

Nope. There were bits of him scattered. Now my fish are slowly disappearing.

 

[Calappidae]

Check it for parasitic snails. I forget the name of them but there are several parasitic hitchhikers that love starfish.

 

[Dodgy Russian]

It's the emerald crabs, they might eat algae but eat fish and inverts as well my lfs always loses fish to them. Find the crabs and get rid of them at least sump them I lost a $300 teardrop maxima to a emerald crab once

 

[mayjong]

ummmm

1 large brittle star.

what kind?

 

[tanked_life]

+1 on the emerald crab those guys are ruthless and have been known to eat other inverts and corals in some cases

 

[rssjsb]

what kind of star is it? If it's fromia or linckia, they often they fall apart or lose limbs months after addition to the tank as a result of starvation or improper acclimation.