what's the max size on mini brittle stars? Not sure what reproduced...

[Sk8r]

When I set up after boarding my specimen rocks during a move, one rock had what I thought were mini black and white brittle stars, a species I thought would stay quite small. They're everywhere.

Now I note one of them has arms [the body stays hidden] exceeding 1" long. I'm beginning to wonder how mini these are.

Any notes on species ranges?

 

[philter4]

I keep a lot of sp of both brittle and serpent stars, could you give me more info on mini, like scientific name or discription and range? the smallest ones I've seen myself live on octocorals and lace corals, they are between 1 and 2 inch as adult, but both are symbiotic with their respective corals, not free living. Here in FL the smallest free living ones we come across are about 5 inch from tip to tip if legs are spread out. That is mini compared to things like the red serpent which can have legs that are 8 inches each. With more info I could try to give more and better info.

 

[Sk8r]

These ones arrived as hitchhikers from lfs, and are typical in body shape, can't even swear to hemisphere of origin. Show black/white/brownish when silhouetted against light...they're living in the rock, stick arms out, do not come out at night, only once have I seen whole animal [typical structure]. They're mannerly, put out arms into water but do not seem to feed on sandbed like brittle stars I have had. Only one has reached over an inch single arm length [can't swear to total since I can't see whole arm] I'm not alarmed by them and fish and shrimp are not annoyed, but when they offer to get large as well as ubiquitous [in every rock I own now] I kinda want to know what they are.

 

[rssjsb]

I have some that have been in my nano for nearly three years without ever getting any bigger than what you describe. Never see anything but legs sticking out of the rock, but the legs are between 1-2".

 

[Sk8r]

I'd hope this is the case. Small cleaners are more valuable even in larger tanks: more nooks and crannies and ease of operating in narrow spaces.

 

[rssjsb]

I've also got a huge brittlestar in my 20long (different tank) that hitched in on my live rock. He minds his own business, but his legs now stretch about halfway across the tank!!

To be honest, he kind of gave me the creeps when I first found him in there, but I've grown kind of attached to him. My biggest complaint is that he will steal unsecured zoanthids and ricordias and drag them into his "cave." He doesn't eat them, because I've found them in there unharmed. Maybe he's redecorating. Go figure.