[love_da_ocean]

What do Brittle Starfish eat?

[Ninong]

Your question is overly broad but most of them are opportunistic omnivores and eat just about anything they can get into their mouths.



P.S. -- For a more specific answer you have to narrow it down to a particular species or at least a particular genus.

[darkurza]

I JUST GOT TWO GREEN BRITTLE STARFISH, I HAVE READ (A LOT) THAT THEY ARE VERY GOOD CLEANERS. KNOW AFTER I GOT THEM I SEE ON HERE THAT THEY CAN ATTACK MY FISH. I HAVE A 55 REEF TANK (NEW) MY Q? IS DO THEY ATTACK FISH WHEN THEY HAVENT BEEN FED OR ITS PART OF THERE DIET.

[greenbean36191]

Both. Keeping them well fed will help keep them from hunting, but it won't prevent it entirely.

[charlesr1958]

Green serpent starfish will be predatory towards fish, and after having seen how large they can become and how aggressive as well, I would never keep one in a tank with anything but very large fish.

Chuck

[Ninong]

Robert Fenner has some comments on the green brittle star (Ophiarachna incrassata) here.

Beware the Midnight Fish Eater!

One species in common use warrants a statutory warning. This is the Green Brittle Star of the genus Ophiarachna. This animal is a predatory fish eater, that does indeed do a spiffy janitorial job when small... but grows quickly, and under darkness of night can/does learn to eat aquarium fishes. This species has been documented to arch up in "sleeping caves" of captive fishes and drop down on unsuspecting meals. If you use this species, keep an eye on it, and a count on your piscine livestock. -- Robert Fenner

[darkurza]

Ok, so these two green brittle starfish that i purchase which are adults, becouse they are about 5" to 6" long, are they or are they not still active cleaners or are they just eating my fish food and waiting around to eat my fish.

[darkurza]

If my green Brit starfishs are just a couple of freaky jasons can some one point out some good and intresting cleaners (not algea cleaners)thanks.
besides cleaner shrimp too.

[smidoid]

How do starfish learn to eat fish if they don't have brains?

[I don't doubt that they DO - I'm more puzzled witht the how.]

[Ninong]

Originally Posted by smidoid

How do starfish learn to eat fish if they don't have brains?

[I don't doubt that they DO - I'm more puzzled witht the how.]

Sea stars are very, very old. They evolved hundreds of millions of years ago. They're not the only animals without brains. None of the Cnidaria have brains and yet they can eat prey. That would include anemones and corals, etc. None of the Echinodermata have brains and yet they can eat lots of different things. That would include animals such as sea stars, sea urchins, sea feathers and sea cucumbers.

They evolved without brains and they have managed to survive without brains. It's just a different body plan that predates vertebrates by a couple hundred million years.

[Frag Hag]

most of them are opportunistic omnivores and eat just about anything they can get into their mouths... They evolved without brains and they have managed to survive without brains.

*sigh* This definition could also apply to a few of my in-laws.

[jasutton]

they still have a Central Nervous System, and a CNS has a certain level of programability, so to speak...

[Ninong]

I think you have to have a brain for your nervous system to be called a central nervous system. They have a complex nervous system but no central control.

[smidoid]

Originally Posted by Ninong

I think you have to have a brain for your nervous system to be called a central nervous system. They have a complex nervous system but no central control.

I expect you're right there - we have both a central and peripheral nervous system - the brain controls both, but I don't think it's actually part of either as such. (It's the most complex organ in our bodies - little wonder it goes wrong so often; which makes me question why people with mental illness(es) get such a rough ride!)

I understand a LOT more after reading those articles you referred me to Ninong. Kept me up half the night you bugger!

Seems that the nervous system of a starfish *is* it's brain in effect. OMG - they're walking brains with 40,000 hydraulic feet (try controlling that lot without some form of intelligent processing)! Not everyone agrees, but that makes sense to me as it passes Occam's Razor quite nicely (at least, it would if we could prove it).

Mind you, I procured a crab today - it fell out of a live rock that I accidentally smashed during transit. Now I have to look up crabs!

I also saw briefly something that looked like a bristleworm scurry away but I lost sight of it. Have to check on that...