Green brittle

[larryndana]

ophiura if your out there, lol.
so i found a green brittle at my lfs, but it doesn't look like usual. not as green. this one is a light green color, didn't even look green until the clerk pull it to the front.
my question is, is there a difference in green ones. i know greens are usually highly predatory, just curious.
it also had some very cool specs or dots on its oral disk.
thanks for anyones help.

 

[b bauer]

she is the one to ask! but my friend bought 1 when he first started and it ate his hermits and one fish before he got it out

 

[dogstar]

Research Ophiarachna incrassata
They do come in different shades and even colors....
IMO, if it looks like a duck.....do a google images search for many photos.
Maybe ophiura or someone can detail some definate characteristics to ID it....
If you have fish then why risk them....

 

[ophiura]

OK...I really can' answer this at all I would like to, but there are thousands of species of brittlestars. Dogstar's advice is good, but without a picture myself, I can't give you any information.
BTW, I have three VERY large green brittlestars that have lived for years and years with a sixline wrasse with no issues. Yes it is a risk, but it is not the behavior of every green brittlestar. THere are a lot of animals commonly kept or even promoted that pose risks as well...the most destructive animal in my tank was an emerald crab that ate leather corals. So yes, there are risks in many things we keep in this hobby.

 

[larryndana]

this is what i thought you might say. maybe i can get a pic.
not really looking to get it, just wasn't like other green brittles i've seen.
one time i did come across one that was huge, its oral disk was probably almost or over two inches wide. how big are the ones you have, just curious. being that big how often and what do you feed them?

 

[ophiura]

They are probably in that same neighborhood.

The tank is heavily fed with lots of shrimp pellets, flake food, frozen foods, etc. Nearly all for the stars...