sea star id

[bobt2]

Richard, in my last shipment you included a sea star that I,m trying to id. it looks like a brittle star with for want of a better word, thorns all along the sides of the arms.it wraps around an object like a gorgonian and hangs on, never moving over days, idea's?

 

[liverock]

Richard, in my last shipment you included a sea star that I,m trying to id. it looks like a brittle star with for want of a better word, thorns all along the sides of the arms.it wraps around an object like a gorgonian and hangs on, never moving over days, idea's?

Basket star...like this one..... http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2653659&page=2&highlight=tbs

cool critters...

 

[bobt2]

not even close. I,ve had basket stars before. this is the size of the serpents, maybe 5" across. I may have to get a photo

 

[bobt2]

searching online, some kind of spiny brittle star

 

[liverock]

searching online, some kind of spiny brittle star

picture would help....but sounds like a brittle star maybe...but usually they do not hang on gorgs....

 

[bobt2]

sea star

sea star

 

[liverock]

View attachment 380759

Interesting...have you added anything else to your tank besides The Package?

 

[helix149]

Ophiothrix spiculata ?? problem is this is a california species...

other possibility is a feather star

 

[bobt2]

no Richard. it was in the bag with the other stars

 

[liverock]

no Richard. it was in the bag with the other stars

Dan will know.....

 

[bobt2]

yes, it came from him. great shipment btw.

 

[liverock]

We call them goldline brittle stars and they come from Tarpon Springs area . They hang on gorgs versus hiding under rocks in 30 foot of water or deeper most of the time .

 

[bobt2]

thanks, don't know if I like it hanging on my coral, but it doesn't seam to be hurting it.

 

[liverock]

I think they have a symbiotic relationship in nature . In tanks the same . After a while it might cruise around at night then come home to its main place to hang . Lots of gorgonians displace their exterior to slough off algae thats starts to grow on them .

 

[bobt2]

I will watch and enjoy, for now