Do Red Serpent Stars randomly lose legs?

[RussC]

Just notice my red serpent star lost a leg. Haven’t seen any issues. But here’s something that’s really got me curious. My tile starfish also has had two tips that look like they were cut off. I just figured he’d gotten into my wav pumps. But now that my red serpent star just lost a leg (which I found laying on the substrate) I’m really curious. Is the tile starfish actually a victim? Had the tile for a long time. The serpent is about 1 week.

 

[ZoWhat]

I'd rename the red serpent "Lieutenant Dan" from the Forrest Gump movie.....

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

No, it wouldn’t lose a leg unless something was wrong. Something could be bothering it or more likely water quality or poor acclimation/handling. How long have you had it? If starfish are handled rough it can take them several weeks to start falling apart, sometimes their fate is sealed before you bring them home.

 

[RussC]

Not sure what’s going on! I have a tiger serpent star and a brittle star in great shape.

 

[RussC]

I think I have a suspect. I have a long spiked sea urchin. According to what I've read, they can become predatory if hungry enough. That would explain the "chomping" look at the end of the tile starfish.

 

[pirate2876]

These used to always have issues losing arms. I have no idea why, nor could the wholesellers tell me why. This was back maybe 15-20yrs so I would hope there would have resolved how they ship these guys.

Edit: I'm speaking about the red serpent stars

 

[ca1ore]

No, it wouldn’t lose a leg unless something was wrong. Something could be bothering it or more likely water quality or poor acclimation/handling. How long have you had it? If starfish are handled rough it can take them several weeks to start falling apart, sometimes their fate is sealed before you bring them home.

This ^. Fromia (tile) stars just don't do well in aquariums and should be left in the ocean. Highly unlikely the urchin (a herbivore) is to blame. What you describe as 'chomping' looks like disintegrating to me. Serpent/brittle stars, on the other hand, generally do very well for many years. They will occasionally lose an arm. BTW, the lost arm may well wriggle around for a couple of weeks, but unless there's part of the central disc attached it will eventually rot.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Serpent stars and brittle stars, as with all star fish require a much longer drip acclimation, even longer than shrimps and crabs. They're highly susceptible to osmotic shock, stemming from water parameters that they're used to and water parameters of your tank.

Specially SG! If the SG is different, it can cause irreversible damage to the tissues if not acclimated for a couple hours. The limb coming off is a sign of that. Damage that is done cannot be reversed. On the other hand, if the internal damage is not too severe, they have been known to grow limbs back.

I would watch it very closely and if it starts to come apart more, then most likely it's going to die or has died. if it's still eats and moves about freely throughout the tank, there is a possibility it may recover.

 

[JHuneke]

I have a blue linkia that’s going on 6 yrs in my tanks ( 4 transfers ) and recently lost a leg in what I can only guess was a rock pinch while rescaping the tank a while back. It’s growing back , slowly but surely. Just keep an eye on it , hopefully it’s just due to injury and not predation/ collection. ‘Nubin’ as I’ve renamed him bounced back just fine [emoji1360]

 

[JHuneke]

It’s true about the lost Zombie arms! Lol had one leg hitchike in on a coral from RAP .. it had me stumped for an ID for a good while! Lol mine wandered off somewhere never to be seen again after like 10 days though.

 

[Flippers4pups]

It’s true about the lost Zombie arms! Lol had one leg hitchike in on a coral from RAP .. it had me stumped for an ID for a good while! Lol mine wandered off somewhere never to be seen again after like 10 days though.

Lost arms truly just melt away, as do whole starfish/brittle Stars. Very messy.