Description
The Reef's Tireless Janitor
Discover the hidden gem of aquarium clean-up crews with the incredible Brittle Starfish. A close relative of the Serpent Star, the Brittle Star is a master scavenger, using its long, slender, and highly flexible arms to navigate the tightest crevices of your rockwork. It tirelessly seeks out detritus, uneaten food, and decaying organic matter, consuming waste before it can impact your water quality.
Named for their unique defense mechanism of detaching an arm when threatened (which they later regenerate), these echinoderms are far hardier than their name implies. Their distinct central disc and spiny, fast-moving arms make them a fascinating creature to watch as they emerge in the low light of evening to begin their janitorial duties. For a healthy, pristine aquarium and a touch of mysterious nocturnal life, the Brittle Starfish is an essential and effective addition.
Why You'll Love the Brittle Starfish:
- Superior Scavenger: Its thin, agile arms can reach deep into rockwork and under corals, cleaning areas that snails, crabs, and other scavengers simply can't access.
- Reef-Safe & Peaceful: A model citizen in any community reef tank. It shows no interest in harming corals, anemones, or healthy fish.
- Fascinating & Active: While shy during the day, the Brittle Star becomes an active and intriguing hunter of detritus after the lights go out, providing a unique glimpse into your aquarium's nightlife.
- Incredibly Hardy: Known for its resilience, the Brittle Star is an excellent choice for aquarists of all skill levels and adapts well to any stable, mature marine aquarium.
Care & Specifications
To ensure your Brittle Star thrives, a proper environment that provides security and stable water conditions is essential. Like all echinoderms, they are sensitive to abrupt changes in water chemistry.
Tank Requirements:
- Minimum Tank Size: 10 Gallons or larger.
- Aquascape: A mature aquarium with ample live rock is crucial. The rockwork provides the necessary hiding places for the Brittle Star to feel secure during the day and surfaces for it to scavenge upon at night.
- Stability: Best introduced into a well-established system with stable parameters.
Water Parameters:
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Temperature: 72−78°F (22−25.5°C)
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Specific Gravity: 1.023−1.025
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pH: 8.1−8.4
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Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate: As close to 0 ppm as possible. They are intolerant of high nitrate levels.
Feeding & Diet: The Brittle Starfish is a highly efficient scavenger that will consume most leftover foods and waste in the aquarium.
- Diet: Carnivore / Scavenger.
- Primary Foods: Detritus, uneaten meaty foods (mysis, krill, etc.), and fish waste.
- Supplemental Feeding: In very clean or sparsely populated tanks, it's beneficial to target feed your Brittle Star a few times a week. Place a small piece of shrimp or a sinking carnivore pellet near one of its arms, and it will quickly find and consume it.
Compatibility: Brittle Stars are peaceful and compatible with almost all reef fish, corals, and invertebrates. They should not be housed with large, aggressive predators that are known to eat crustaceans and echinoderms, such as large Triggerfish or Pufferfish.
A Note on Species: The vast majority of Brittle Stars sold in the hobby are peaceful scavengers. However, the large, predatory Green Brittle Star (Ophiarachna incrassata) is an exception and can prey on sleeping fish. We ensure that we provide the safe, common, and beneficial species perfect for a community reef tank.
Acclimation: IMPORTANT: Brittle Stars, like all starfish, are extremely sensitive to changes in salinity, pH, and temperature. To ensure their survival and a stress-free transition, slow drip acclimation is mandatory. Please acclimate for a minimum of 60 minutes.
