Tiny white serpent stars, ID please !!

[Rob]

When weeding out the hair algae in my hairy reef tank, I always find dozens of tiny white serpent stars, and I'm wondering what they are, and where they come from.

They're hard to humanely extract from the hair and return to the tank!

Their bodies are 1-3mm in diameter, and they have long thin tentacles. No doubt a different species, but by way of description they look just like albino versions of the serpent stars that I used to have, in a different tank.

Anybody know? Anybody have them?

[newreefman1]

They sell em at IPSF

From what I know they are sand sifting stars. Baby Brittle stars. Good for the sandbed and they reproduce very well.

People pay good money for a bag of 10 tiny ones

I have a few in my tank I see from time to time...just hitchikers.

GL
jason

ministars they are called at IPSF.

[Rob]

Thanks!!

I suspected that they were detritovires, but had no idea from whence they came.

Anyone who wants a few, I'm in NYC. Bring ziplocks and beer...