Baby brittles?

[lolly1]

I suddenly have lots of little stars that look like tiny white serpent stars crawling around my substrate. They are NOT asterina stars as they have the long, "serpent-like" legs with the circle in the middle of their body. I have 2 brittles in my tank. Could they have reproduced or are the new stars that I'm seeing something different? Right now they are about the size of a quarter and seem to like it under the sand. I have spotted over a dozen already!

 

[hot883]

They are common hitchhikers that will not get much bigger. I have about 200 in my refugium. VERY beneficial. Barry

 

[lolly1]

Originally Posted by hot883
They are common hitchhikers that will not get much bigger. I have about 200 in my refugium. VERY beneficial. Barry
Awesome, thanks!!! What are they called??

 

[hot883]

Originally Posted by Lolly1
Awesome, thanks!!! What are they called??
Thery are bought and sold by the common name of micro stars. I bet Ophiura would know.

 

[lolly1]

Ok, thank you!

 

[bigarn]

they're also known as mini-brittles.

 

[ophiura]

There are several species in the hobby...white forms, or some with banded arms. Anyway, they are NOT offspring of the adults and they will not get much larger. Some have 6 arms and reproduce (mostly) by splitting. Others are hermaphrodites.

 

[alix]

i realize this is and old thread... but i was just wondering if these are commonly sold and if they are easy to keep alive?

 

[lesleybird]

Originally Posted by alix
i realize this is and old thread... but i was just wondering if these are commonly sold and if they are easy to keep alive?
If you google the word ministars and the word farm together you will find them at the first listed. They came as hitch hikers on my live rock. They are very easy to keep alive and live in the sand and eat the crud in there. One usually does not see them during the day....maybe with a flashlight at night as they live in the sand bed. I also have some other type of tiny stars that are yellow and live on the live rock and on the glass, not in the sand bed. These other type are small, maybe the size of a pea and have fat arms which they have from 4 to 6 arms. Also easy to keep.