Zombie starfish

[Hairyteeth]

Curious how often this happens….
So I bought a starfish for my harlequin to eat, I normally have a few in a larger systems sump that I cut a leg off and throw into my nano.
Two weeks ago leg went in, shrimp ate… started wandering around the other day like he was hungry, saw the leg laying on the bottom still brought it over near him….

long story short, was walking out the door last night and the leg was walking up the glass, full steam after two weeks of being munched!
Does this happen to anyone else?

 

[Rick's Reviews]

This made me laugh so much, I'm in tears

I did a quick Google as this is interesting to quote
"As long as the lost limb has at least some of the central disc area it can develop into a second starfish. “At the same time the original starfish will also be able to grow a new leg. The whole process can take up to a year or more but we have already noticed the severed leg is beginning to develop,”

Best post I have read for a while

 

[Hairyteeth]

Read the same thing this morning, I’m just shocked that it’s being eaten and apparently regenerating at a faster pace…. I may have found the perfect shrimp food lol

 

[Rick's Reviews]

Or new display tank... Just starfish legs lol
can I ask what you use starfish to feed, just curious, thanks
I'm unsure if others have experienced same but will hopefully add Thier comments

 

[Hairyteeth]

I feed it a harlequin shrimp, I had swarms of asterinas… I know most are harmless, but I had some grey ones with red and black specs that would always be on my favorite “expensive” zoa, appeared to be eating it.
I would remove the asterina, off of it, the zoa would open fully and healthy. And next thing you know, same asterina would be back on the same zoa… regardless of how far away it was moved. Slowly the zoa was shrinking.
So Bowie the harlequin shrimp is here to stay!

 

[CoralB]

That would have freaked me out in a cool way lol!!!

 

[Hairyteeth]

That would have freaked me out in a cool way lol!!!

Definitely caught me off guard, was like what the heck is in my tank now!!!

 

[Hairyteeth]

Btw…that shrimp
Got hungry again and came back for the zombie leg, he is mowing that thing down…if it crawls off again I’ll repost about it!

 

[SlugSnorter]

Curious how often this happens….
So I bought a starfish for my harlequin to eat, I normally have a few in a larger systems sump that I cut a leg off and throw into my nano.
Two weeks ago leg went in, shrimp ate… started wandering around the other day like he was hungry, saw the leg laying on the bottom still brought it over near him….

long story short, was walking out the door last night and the leg was walking up the glass, full steam after two weeks of being munched!
Does this happen to anyone else?

harly keeps a star alive while eating. sometimes, a piece can get away and regrow.

 

[homer1475]

Interesting fact about harlequins....

They actually flip a large star over, sting it to immobilize it, then eat it's tube first first so it can not get away. The whole time a harly eats, the star is alive until the last bit, but cannot get away.

Best to just throw an entire star in with a harly, it's fun to watch them flip them over and eat. They will keep it alive until they consume the entire thing.

 

[EricR]

I feed shrimp (among other things) to my chocolate chip star.
Ahh, the irony...

 

[Hairyteeth]

It’s in a nano and I like to keep it to just a leg incase something weird happens, avoid a nutrient spike…..but they are little freaks for sure feeding there dungeon food as long as possible

 

[EugeneVan]

Curious how often this happens….
So I bought a starfish for my harlequin to eat, I normally have a few in a larger systems sump that I cut a leg off and throw into my nano.
Two weeks ago leg went in, shrimp ate… started wandering around the other day like he was hungry, saw the leg laying on the bottom still brought it over near him….

long story short, was walking out the door last night and the leg was walking up the glass, full steam after two weeks of being munched!
Does this happen to anyone else?

Are you talking about harlequin tusk? I have one too but he is very peaceful. I have him for over 1 year and he never touch my snails, urchin..... I can't think of a tusk willl eat starfish

 

[Hairyteeth]

Are you talking about harlequin tusk? I have one too but he is very peaceful. I have him for over 1 year and he never touch my snails, urchin..... I can't think of a tusk willl eat starfish

Just the shrimp

 

[Hairyteeth]

2nd leg is also a zombie, and correct as stated above….closer cut to the body on this one made it a zombie!!! Photos or it didn’t happen they tell me….or is that just fishing and everything is believable in reefkeeping