Serpent stars arms broke off!

[Fiver]

Hello All,

Both of my serpent stars have broken arms. One is missing 1/2 to 2/3 of most of its arms. The other fared better and is missing about 1/3 of two arms. They are moving and eating as usual.

What could be the cause? I do have a few small (pea to dime-sized) gorilla crabs, but my tank has been up since October, and the issue just appeared in January.

My nitrates are around 15-20 PPM, and I'm planning a major water change this weekend.

All other tank critters (2 ocellaris clowns, 1 brittle star, 3 sea cucumbers, 1 peppermint shrimp, several anemone crabs, several hermits, several astrea snails, some pistol shrimps) and corals (zoas, palys, candy cane, cabbage, montipora, gorgonian) are doing fine. I haven't added a single creature of any kind to the system since December.

Thanks.

 

[sam.basye]

I'm gonna vote the pistol shrimps.
I introduced some small serpent stars in my tank a while back and when one made its way into the shrimps home, I found it against the glass that evening missing most of its arms and the rest mutilated.

 

[Fiver]

I'm gonna vote the pistol shrimps.
I introduced some small serpent stars in my tank a while back and when one made its way into the shrimps home, I found it against the glass that evening missing most of its arms and the rest mutilated.

Thanks for the input and anecdote. Sounds very likely, as I know they have killed several crabs in my tank. Mine aren't the fun pistol shrimps that pair with gobies; they're non-description Gulf pistol shrimps.

 

[sam.basye]

Ah, mine too...
Are they emerald green with translucent blue tail? I caught mine in Naples, Fl.
I never tried to pair mine with a goby. Guess that's a good thing. Lol mine is a little over 2" long

 

[Fiver]

Ah, mine too...
Are they emerald green with translucent blue tail? I caught mine in Naples, Fl.
I never tried to pair mine with a goby. Guess that's a good thing. Lol mine is a little over 2" long

Yup. I've found a blue one and a few red ones, too. Mine are pretty small -- under an inch for sure.

 

[sam.basye]

Guy any pictures of them?

As much of a pain as my pistol shrimp is, I still like him and wouldn't get rid of it.

 

[Fiver]

Guy any pictures of them?

As much of a pain as my pistol shrimp is, I still like him and wouldn't get rid of it.

Check out this old thread I started that has a picture and a video. I removed about 6-8 of them, but I still have a few in my display tank.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2541193

 

[sam.basye]

Mine looks like the big one in the pic/video, except mine is entirely the color of the green claw on yours. This is an old pic form when I first caught him about year and a half ago.






Currently - pic was taken when lights were off

 

[Betta132]

I had one a lot like that, but darker. I'm not certain what they are, but they will absolutely snap at anything that comes into their burrow.
Yours are likely the culprits. They could have been hungry, or they could have been trying to defend their homes. You can either hope the starfish (which literally have no brains) somehow learn not to go in there, or you can remove one species.

 

[Fiver]

Mine looks like the big one in the pic/video, except mine is entirely the color of the green claw on yours. This is an old pic form when I first caught him about year and a half ago.





Nice. Mine are petty shy. I rarely see them.

Currently - pic was taken when lights were off

 

[Fiver]

I caught a bastard gorilla crab in the act! I saw this serpent star stretched out and looked, and sure enough, there was a little crab backed into a hole in the rock holding onto an arm. I managed to scare the crab into letting go of the arm, but the skin is torn away at the tip.

I have to renew my efforts at removing these smaller gorilla crabs. I had trapped several already.