Green Brittle Star?

[MadCatter]

I think we may have picked up a green brittle star at the fish store, but there's a possibility that it just looks similar (I've seen photos of other, similar colored/patterned brittles stars). I doubt we'll be able to get a decent photo of the thing, but we can try. Its little arms are only about 2.5-3 inches, so it is still pretty small.... but what are the chances that it will grab a firefish goby in its sleep if it IS a Green Brittle Star? We were told by the LFS that it would be safe with fish, and is a scavenger.. but after reading more, I've discovered that other people also thought theirs was purely a scavenger until it killed and ate one of their fish.

 

[sianeds]

I had a green brittle star AKA "the green death".

It didn't eat and fish.....but....it did eat.....

A whole Xenia colony
2 scarlet hermits
2 snails

I know it was responsible because it vomited it all back up into my water.

I took it back to the LFS that very day and will never ever buy another

 

[poo-tang]

i've been looking for a brittle star lately and have been reading about them. everything i ever read about the green brittle star is that they are not reef safe and notorious night-time hunters of sleeping fish. i would play it safe and return it.

 

[MadCatter]

I had a green brittle star AKA "the green death".

It didn't eat and fish.....but....it did eat.....

A whole Xenia colony
2 scarlet hermits
2 snails

I know it was responsible because it vomited it all back up into my water.

I took it back to the LFS that very day and will never ever buy another

So how much can these things physically eat during one sitting (or over a span of a night/few hours)? Our Firefish Goby has gone missing over night, and though there is a tiny opening in the tank, it is where the water from the filter pours in, so he'd have to jump agains the current - on top of that, the thing is nowhere to be found behind the tank/desk/on the floor, and if it jumped out, could not be reached by any pets. I'm thinking the star may have grabbed the fish and tucked it away somewhere in the LR.

Edit: The Firefish was found... he's a good hider. But I'm still curious as to how much those stars can eat....and how fast. The tank has 6 turbo snails (most are beastly...) and 8 small hermits. I assume that if the thing IS a killer, it would go for the crabs first...

 

[Navarre]

I have seen too many posts where a green star has traped and killed a fish. I would never have one.