Do brittle stars catch and eat shrimp??

[dynagirl]

I bought this star from this site 2 weeks ago and now I am missing 2 Peppermints....I specifically bought this kind because I read it was a peaceful, non predatory brittle star....
I think I may have gotten an evil one because I saw it trying to pull a hermit into its lair. I have never seen it leave its hiding spot...only stretches its legs out to grab food. :notsure:

 

[froznfinn]

the picture is a little dark..but it looks like a green brittle star..and they are predators..
they are fun to have but you may notice things like small fish,shrimp etc missing..good luck

 

[alyssia]

I think it looks like a brown brittle. I also bought one from this site and it is BIG. It dosen't bother anything though. I spot feed it several times a week (meaty foods).

 

[rujelus22]

I have one just like it, he doesn't bother anything, just sits in his rock and grabs food when it goes by

 

[dynagirl]

I was specifically trying to avoid a green brittle but maybe they sent me one by mistake...I just can't imagine what else would have eaten 2 shrimp.
All my fish are very small:
3 chromis
2 ocellaris
1 tail spot blenny
1 yellow wrasse
Maybe I should pull it out and get a better look at it...I don't remember it being green at all....more like a brownish black....

 

[rujelus22]

thats not a green brittle

 

[fishrule]

How long have you had the shrimp?Did you just get them when you got the Star?
Peppermint Shrimp and Camelback Shrimp will hide a lot. So if you weren’t' used to seeing them out and about, they are most likely hiding and will be well hidden...
Try looking for them when the lights are off...

 

[swlover]

Hey I got a red brittle star a few months ago and it killed my Peppermint shrimps..within a few days he killed them and just left them, didn't eat them. I think he attacked them while they were molting, he hasn't bothered anything since. The funny thing was as soon as I put him in the tank the shrimps where the first to go attacking him..they jumped on him and it looked like they were trying to pull him into a cave....pay back is hell I guess!

 

[stanlalee]

how small were the peppermint shrimp? I wouldn't rule out the yellow wrasse, even though peaceful they are still wrasses which have a habit of having a taste for shrimp.

 

[dynagirl]

The Peppermints were pretty big...About the same size as my yellow wrasse actually. They had been in my tank for about 2 months...cleared it of aptasia...and were always out in the open, especially at feeding time and were fun to watch.
I'm bummed....

 

[uberlink]

I have a brown brittle, and he's a good guy. Doesn't bother much. However, I think he did kill my emerald crab a month or two back. The crab had molted, and I imagine he then scurried over the top of the brittle, who instinctively grabbed him. Didn't eat him, but the brittle had him in the morning and he didn't survive. No problems otherwise.