Six Legged Brittle Star?

[vickicj]

I just came home with some live rock & polyps and am in the process of aclimating and found what looks like a very small, light brown star-fish looking creature, looks very much like a Brittle Star but has 6 appendages? Is this a Brittle Star or something else? I appreciate any clues!

 

[smoney]

Those are things in the swf world that we like to call, COOL HITCHIKERS! umm.. I have seen like two or three baby brisstle stars they dont get to the normal size of a normal brisstle, at least I dont think they do. I have also seen baby serpeant stars on my friends live rock, they are neat little buggers and they are harmless. Congratulations

 

[vickicj]

So even tho this one has 6 legs it is a brittle star? COOL! That was great luck then...thanks so much!

 

[smoney]

Yeah, despite how many legs he has, he is still good. Some stars have 6 legs, but I think if its a brisstle star it was probably just a recessive gene, or abnormality that it got!

 

[vickicj]

Awesome, thanks!

 

[ophiura]

Yup, it is a species, most likely of Ophiactis. Often with banded arms, or greenish color as well. They tend to be small.
6 armed varieties of brittlestars tend to reproduce by splitting. 3 arms are really required to move properly, so the animal splits in half. Often 3 arms on one side will all be much shorter than the one's on the other.

They are considered to be very good additions

 

[smoney]

TOld Ya So! Ophiura knows his starfish!

 

[ophiura]

*Her* starfish

LOL

 

[celacanthr]

LOL! PSsSsStT- Smoney edit your post before she notices! Ooops!

 

[smoney]

Thats what I meant to say, She knows her starfish! :hilarious

 

[mudplayerx]

I used to have a bunch of these until my CBS ate them all

 

[Keith Banks]

Hi to all, have just come across this posting. I was just g owing to. Ask about this 6 legged brittle banded star fish as I have something like thousands. They live in all the rock crevices and holes, they ranged from the smallest, being just about 10mm across to the biggy one that has reached about 50mm, the other place they like to live is in the equipment like filters, and the securing's of the same.