*StArFiSh*

langcjl

Member
We brought this neat looking starfish home from the Atlantic Ocean a few weeks ago...he's a sandy brown color and has horizontal black stripes...he hasn't been eating lately... any suggestions??
 

the claw

Active Member
Is it a brittle star, or a "normal starfish"?
Brittle stars are relatively fast movers with serpentine like arms.
 

the claw

Active Member
If it's a brittlestar then it is probaby one of the most common of them call a reticulated brittle star. Ophionereis reticulata, but I'm not sure where they can be found in the Atlantic
 

langcjl

Member
i don't think that he is a brittle star... more along the lines of a normal starfish.. but he is pretty big - like 6 inches across - but how and what would you feed him?
 

the claw

Active Member
Bits of clam or mussels that you might find in the grocery star. UNCOOKED of course. Just slip a piece underneath him, he will probably do the rest. Some starfish have specific diets, but that's the best I can do with what I know. If you buy fresh seafood, you can freeze it and thaw chunks when you need to feed, or what the heck, eat the rest.
Good Luck!!!!!!!!!!!
 

the claw

Active Member
Good morning, I agree, a couple of times per week. I also think I have seen a picture of the little guy in a reference book. I am at work now so won't be home for 16 hours. Check back in the am, and I'll let you know if I have an ID for you. Someone else might be able to do it for you by then too. What temperature of water did you find him?
 

ophiura

Active Member
Does this star burrow into the sand at all? Did you pick it up off the beach? It looks like Luidia clathrata, and, if healthy, it should burrow. However, it is commonly cast up on beaches after storms, and is usually not healthy then. It is predatory, both on sand bed fauna and on various other things (other stars, snails, clams, etc), and I would not keep it in a reef tank.
 

langcjl

Member
Yes, we did pick it up off of the beach just as he came in with the tide down in Myrtle Beach...he does bury in the sand a lot...does that mean he's looking for food?.....-I feed him a mussel last night the way -The Claw- told me and he ate it right away...so he's ok for about 3 days right?
 

ophiura

Active Member
Well, it is behaving correctly. There is no way to determine how much it really needs to eat. All I can say is that you have to decide what you value more...this star, or other things in your tank. If it is a fish only tank, and not using a functional deep sand bed for filtration, then I don't see a major problem. If it is a reef tank, or one with lots of snails, etc, I would seriously reconsider having it in there. Few animals will pass up a meal should they come across it, and these guys may consider things you spent money on to be a good meal.
 
R

royalshrimp

Guest
I also caught a sae star. Is it preditory also? Its a chocolate brown one, with orange dots. Its from the keys crawling in the sea grass. And it burrows quite often. Just wanted to know if its preditory. Thanks.
Raphael
 

buzz

Active Member
Ophiura - Is it me, or does the star in that pic look like it is missing parts of it's arms? I see one to the left that is half an arm and the one above that is missing the end of the arm. That can't be a really good sign, can it?
 

ophiura

Active Member
Hey Buzz!
Yes, it is missing parts of the arms. If this was before introduction to the tank, and the wound is closed, then I am not terribly concerned (lots of things bite the arms off in the wild). If it has lost arms after introduction, then this is not a good sign...however, otherwise it is behaving normally.
Raphael,
From your description, it sounds like a juvenile Echinaster sentus, but impossible to know without a photo. They don't really like light, and so may seek cover, but I am not aware of them burying themselves in the sand. This doesn't seem right (but is normal for Luidia like the one above). If you can get a photo, it would help. Echinaster is probably reef safe, and similar to Linckia in their requirements (meaning large mature reef tank because they typically will not take to any foods you put in). But I make no guarantees, and really can't identify it better without a photo.
 

langcjl

Member
He was missing part of his arm when put into the tank. It seems to be healing nicely. We fed him a chunk of a mussel and he ate it. He seems very healthy and active and so far has exhibited no signs of any dangerous behavior. We have fed him a couple of times now and all seems well. Thanks for the help. By the way, he is in a FOWLR with a 6"DSB.
 

broncofish

Active Member
Might as well count your DSB as non functional if you leave the star in there. It will eat the fauna, disturb the sand bed, and all in all make you DSB just a big pile of non filtering sand.
 

langcjl

Member
Anyone else have any thoughts on that? The starfish does not climb and so has access only to the sand bed in front of the live rock. This is about 50% of the area. The starfish does not bury himself in the sand, he really only gets half of his body below the sand so at most he is burrowing 1/2" into the sand. This disturbance is nothing compared to what sand sifting crabs and snails do. I really doubt that this one small starfish is rendering the 6" deep sandbed useless.
 

ophiura

Active Member
Sand sifting stars are predatory, and they are generally eating fauna in the sand bed (good things). There is a great deal of debate, but I do feel that they are not a good idea in a tank using a functional deep sand bed. The typical sand sifter star available in the hobby, Archaster, will often starve to death after stripping the sand bed of much life.
This particular star is probably more open to taking food you add, but it is, nonetheless, probably eating some sand bed fauna as well. That is its normal behavior, and it is a risk with keeping it. It may be fine, it may not be.
 
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