Brittle Starfish, Useful?

Hugh Mann · May 30, 2020

At least I think it's a brittle star. Came as a tiny hitchhiker on a ball of chaeto. There's another one that is only a couple millimeters, and a bristle worm in there too.

Should I keep it, or not? I don't know much about these things, liveaquaria doesn't have much information either.

James M · May 30, 2020

They are great clean up crew. I would keep it

Hugh Mann · May 30, 2020

What do they clean up? Food bits, algae, little bit of everything?

Idoc · May 30, 2020

Hugh Mann said:
What do they clean up? Food bits, algae, little bit of everything?

They clean up detritus and bits of food left over in the cracks of the rocks. I would love to find a few brittle starfish!

Hugh Mann · May 30, 2020

Friend of mine ended up with he said 5 brittle stars from his Chaeto.
Canada Corals in Kamloops BC if y'all want free brittle stars.
Yeah, definitely going to be keeping it.

vetteguy53081 · May 30, 2020

They keep the sandbed open and remove detrious and uneaten food

X-37B · May 30, 2020

I have 2 in my 120.
The bodies are the size of a quarter. Came in on a piece of live rock.
Dont see much but the arms sticking out of the live rocks.

Glauber · May 31, 2020

imo i like em , don't hurt and help clean detritus on the tank

Wolf89 · May 31, 2020

vetteguy53081 said:
They keep the sandbed open and remove detrious and uneaten food

They dont go in the sand

vetteguy53081 · May 31, 2020

Wolf89 said:
They dont go in the sand

Mine live in the sand. They crawl across it sifting for anything they consume and that is how they spend their time , generally under rocks and coming out occassionally

Wolf89 · May 31, 2020

vetteguy53081 said:
Mine live in the sand. They crawl across it sifting for anything they consume and that is how they spend their time , generally under rocks and coming out occassionally

I think you're talking about full size brittle stars while those thread is about micro brittle stars

Keen4 · Jul 19, 2020

Ok now I feel good about discovering one of these little guys in my chaeto. Pretty cool creature now that ive researched him. The first radially symmetrical animal documented to move the way they do. They quite interesting being that they have ball joints like humans do for each arm.