Weird starfish hitchhiker...

[Quinn]

Saw this guy wandering around on my live rock today. Looks like he got in a fight with something, probably before he got into my tank, unless I have something in there I don't know about. Anyone have idea what he is? He's got yellow and red spots, and blue on the tips of his arms. He's about 1.5" across.

http://rdcpsych.binbash.org/quinn/weird%20starfish%20june%2014%2003/1.jpg

http://rdcpsych.binbash.org/quinn/weird%20starfish%20june%2014%2003/2.jpg

http://rdcpsych.binbash.org/quinn/weird%20starfish%20june%2014%2003/3.jpg

[Quinn]

Someone on RC suggested it is a Linckia multiflora, so I Googled that, and it looks like a match. He's going back into my display tank. Hopefully he gets bigger and becomes a tank centrepiece.

[Beverly]

Hopefully he gets bigger and becomes a tank centrepiece.

He looks like the colour of macroalgae. I doubt you'll see it very much. I bought a purple linckia the other day and don't see it much either. It spends most of its time on the rock, under the rock, behind the rock ... you get the idea :rolleyes:

[Quinn]

Actually what he really looks like is my live rock. The only reason I saw him was because he was moving across a small piece of base rock. He's brown/purple/red/yellow/white. I tried to get a good shot to show colours but of course that's pretty tough without the right equipment.

I do like starfish, but you're right, they're not exactly the most public of animals. Since they move so slow, you kinda get to enjoy them for a day and then you have to wait another two weeks to get a good look at them I suppose. Personally I'd like to find a nice yellow starfish, I'm sure they exist, maybe a species of Fromia or something. How is that basket star doing?

[Beverly]

How is that basket star doing?

You mean the feather brittle star? THE star of the 42 hex? I think it's doing pretty well. It filter feeds a lot when I feed the fish, as lots of little stuff falls off the frozen food I feed them. I also feed it Marine Snow, but not every day because it takes so long to target feed it. I think it's getting enough from the twice daily fish feedings, but I still use the MS every other day or so.

It's been moving around the tank a bit, but always around the top where water circulation is highest. It's been perched on my yellow scroll for the past two days, but I'm hoping it'll move just a few inches to the right and leave the scroll alone. Doesn't seem to be harming the scroll, though.

You'll get to see it on Saturday, Quinn :cool:

[Van down by the river]

Nice acquisition :biggrin:
You Albertan's seem to always get very cool hitchhikers.

The arms may be different lengths from the star "splitting" asexually to reproduce. One or more arms split from the center and regenerate the full oral disc and other arms.

[Van down by the river]

Beverly, do you have any pics of your feather star yet?
I'd be very interested in your observations on keep ing them.

[Canadian Man]

You sure got alot of life on that rock Quinn :cool:

[EmilyB]

You sure got alot of life on that rock Quinn :cool:

Yes, no kidding. :cool: I have been trying to order Fiji from J&L and it has been unavailable.

But I have no interest in rocks 10-25lbs average, although the life seems incredible ! We had trouble moving a 14lb rock with the lights and all.

[Quinn]

Lots of life, both good and bad. I have all sorts of odd snails, little clams wandering around on my glass (I didn't realize clams moved like snails), what appears to be cone snails in my overflow and now fuge, a tiny black nudibranch-type animal that looked like it had a lamp shade halfway down its body (maybe a shell), lots of different feather duster worms, some sponges, odd macro algaes, what looks like encrusting acroporas of some type, many different colours of coraline (white, red, orange, yellow, green, purple), some valonia (arghh), two mantis shrimp (one dead, one in a rock in my fuge), many crabs of varying sizes...

The starfish is probably the most exciting thing I've found though, other than the dead hermit crab (he made himself useful and helped cycle the tank).

Along with hitchhikers, I should note that my fuge is filling nicely with pods, the caulerpa is doing well, and the shroom that came on some of that spaghetti algae from Tony seems happy, as it's larger than a toonie during the day.

[Beverly]

Beverly, do you have any pics of your feather star yet?

Yes, I took a few pictures and posted the best of them to my 42 gal hex site last week:

http://www.lostmymarblz.com/42galhexreef.htm

For closer photos of the feather star:

http://www.lostmymarblz.com/42gal-featherstar.htm

[StirCrazy]

But I have no interest in rocks 10-25lbs average, although the life seems incredible ! .

you know.. they get lighter when you drop them :wink: :mrgreen:

Steve

[Quinn]

I should note that today I saw two nudibranchs, about 5mm long, with green on the bottom, purple on the top, two orange stripes along the sides. They were really moving, within minutes they were hidden again. I'm amazed they've made it this long, I doubt that I will ever seen them again...

http://rdcpsych.binbash.org/quinn/nudibranchs%20june%2015%2003/1.jpg

http://rdcpsych.binbash.org/quinn/nudibranchs%20june%2015%2003/2.jpg

http://rdcpsych.binbash.org/quinn/nudibranchs%20june%2015%2003/3.jpg

http://rdcpsych.binbash.org/quinn/nudibranchs%20june%2015%2003/4.jpg

http://rdcpsych.binbash.org/quinn/nudibranchs%20june%2015%2003/5.jpg