Ophiura

[darth tang]

I have something you might find interesting.
In the past I have seen you post that starfish (you don't beliege) beg or learn any behavior similar as they aren't as sentient as fish. For instance when someone has stated their starfish crawls up the glass and hangs the arms back.
I have had my choco star in with my seahorses for almost a year now. The past week it started doing something it never did before. I usually feed it specifically once a week. But lately, when I feed my horses, the minute the mysis hits the water the star sticks its arms in the air and the little feelers come out and try to grab shrimp coming by. The star never did this in the past.
I just thought you might find it interesting as it sort of shows a learned behavior based from its environment.

 

[bonebrake]

That is very cool Darth. I am sure Ophiura will find that very interesting.
:joy:

 

[lion_crazz]

Yes, my chocolate chip star does the same thing and has been doing it for a while. I used to only feed him once a week, however, I feed the fish more often than that. I started to realize that everytime I put food in the tank for the fish, the starfish would make his way up to the glass and lift his one arm off the side of tank. I always put food on his arm and he immediatley brings it to his mouth. One time, he almost came completely out of the water to get some food that was stuck to the ledge.
Another time, I put my usual sheet of nori in the water for the fish (bat and tang). The tang picked at it, and then my big batfish came over, bit into the nori and lifted the entire sheet of nori and the little piece of live rock that it was attached to. Well, the batfish ripped off a huge piece and it went floating. The starfish had not eaten that day because he was on the overflow box. Well, the nori had been making its rounds in my tank and moving with the current. The nori eventually came around to where the starfish was and the starfish lifted two of his arms off of the overflow, stuck onto the nori, and brought it into his mouth to eat. This all helped within a five minute period, as the batfish is very aggressive with her food, and she is a voracious eater. She ate what she wanted, and then let the rest of the sheet let into the current. I was amazed, as it looked like the starfish knew that the sheet was coming around to him.

 

[ophiura]

They have chemosensory abilities through their tube feet, so this is what you will see. Effectively, they are "smelling" the water, and will follow this scent to where it is strongest (where food is put in, or sitting in the tank). This also explains the movement of brittlestars when food enters the tank...feeding frenzy!!!!!!!! So this is definitely not in question. It is really cool to see

What is in question is whether they "learn" to go to the top of the tank based on how they are fed at the wholesaler. First, I doubt they are fed, certainly not individually. Second, they are there only a very short period of time. Behavior of these animals in the absence of food/scent is the interpretation of the viewer. And this interpretation is often highly biased towards human motivations and not animal motivations