Serpent Stars

[ShilohPSU]

Has anyone ever heard of or experienced a serpent star attacking or killing a fish? I know that they are scavengers and will eat dead fish, but I recently bought a banded and a green serpent star, and now I'm missing a firefish. There is no place for the firefish to jump out of the tank and it has been missing for a few days now. The only reason that I even think that this is plausible is because the firefish just sleep on the sand bed at night. I actually watched my long spined urchin crawl directly over one of the resting firefish, and the firefish didn't even move! So I'm thinking that maybe a serpent star might capitalize on that. I know that it's a long shot but any insight or similar stories from anyone?

 

[Tennyson]

It probably died and then the serpents went after it, they are too slow to catch a fish. Check your water params, it could have died from them. I your serpents ate it.

 

[Reefmack]

If it was a green brittle star they have a reputation of killing & eating sleeping fish. I've never heard of the serpent type stars doing that, or the black brittle stars.

 

[ShilohPSU]

Yes, it is a green brittle star, but it was sold to me as a green serpent star. I looked it up and it is the same starfish. My water parameters are good, and both firefish were healthy and always swimming together. I suspected something when I only saw one by itself. I know that they stay stationary when the urchin climbed over it, so i was thinking that one of the starfish could have capitalized on that. Are green brittle stars considered to be not safe? Should I get rid of it and get a serpent to replace it?

 

[Reefmack]

No guarantee that the green brittle was the cause, but it's definitely a suspect. In my opinion - if you can take the green brittle back and get another serpent type that would be the safest way to go. Just my opinion. I've had a banded serpent for a long time with no problems.

 

[CadetMKultra]

I have a black brittle star. They're pretty nice. Not like the green ones. He only comes out in the dark, though.

 

[lloydkeller]

ive got a green brittle have had a year the size of your han he stays hid all day i keep him well fed with silversides and he leaves my fish alone but that could change in time

 

[Chorethorious]

I think you should just kill it to be sure haha

It probably did eat the fish though. Most likely as someone stated, it died and taken advantage of.

 

[Ophidia]

Although, if an urchin cruised over a sleeping firefish and it didn't move, there's no reason to think that it would move when a serpent star ran over it (then caught/ate it).

 

[LeslieH]

Greens - Ophiarachna incrassata - are well known piscivores, both actively hunting fish and ambushing them. People have seen them grabbing on and dragging fish down to their hiding places. One person even reported that his caught a dwarf lionfish - http://www.3reef.com/forums/inverts/brittle-star-got-caught-act-hunting-43830.html