serpent star releasing eggs or what????

[scuba guy ron]

Ok.....so I was just about to call it a night and on the way to bed checked the tank as I usually do and I see my maroon serpent star at the very top of the rocks in broad daylight releasing thousands and thousands of tiny brown things that seemd to me and my wife to look possibly like eggs from the tiny holes around the sides of the center of the animal. the fish went crazy and started feasting. got some pics as well as video of it but havent loaded it onto the computer.

any idea of what the heck i just saw? It has been in this reef tank for 4 yrs and ive never seen this happen.

 

[Dave71]

Ok.....so I was just about to call it a night and on the way to bed checked the tank as I usually do and I see my maroon serpent star at the very top of the rocks in broad daylight releasing thousands and thousands of tiny brown things that seemd to me and my wife to look possibly like eggs from the tiny holes around the sides of the center of the animal. the fish went crazy and started feasting. got some pics as well as video of it but havent loaded it onto the computer.

any idea of what the heck i just saw? It has been in this reef tank for 4 yrs and ive never seen this happen.

Sounds like a spawning event to me.

 

[scuba guy ron]

here's some pics as well as a video I took when it happined.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q5tKN-LFDw

 

[LeslieH]

Yes, that's typical behavior for brittle stars when releasing gametes. Most species are dioecious - meaning there are both males & females; only a few are hermaphrodites or reproduce asexually by splitting in half. The eggs and sperm are released through genital bursae into the water. If you only have one animal there's no chance of successful reproduction.

 

[scuba guy ron]

Can micro stars assisT in the reproduction?

 

[LeslieH]

No, micro stars belong to a different genus and species.

 

[scuba guy ron]

thanks leslie for all the info. It was still a really interesting thing to witness.

 

[Dave71]

thanks leslie for all the info. It was still a really interesting thing to witness.

Thanks for taking the time to document and share the "event".

Always appreciated.

 

[ReefSwagg]

How's that serpent star doing btw? mine just did this too. did you need to do a wc afterwards?

 

[mscarpena]

That is really cool. Thanks for sharing.