Photo to share... Ophiuroid ID f'  - 1/17/08
<Hi Bridget>
Just sharing
http://www.drekster.com/myrescues/salttank.htm
I know we've discussed the hermit crab and the baby starfish. Starting to notice more and more of the starfish, not real sure if I have more than I thought that have come in on the live rock or if they're breeding. Doubt they're breeding?
<Might very well be.>
I can think of 6 that I've spotted of various sizes, this is one of the littler ones and I have seen one, one time that was out, it had 6 legs and was about 2".
<Neat! Unfortunately, I can’t see/find it in the photo, but thank you for sharing!>
Take care
Bridget
<You too, Bridget. -Lynn>

Re: Photo to share - 1/17/08
<Hi Bridget!>
You can see the tips of two legs in this photo.
<Ah yes, I think I can just see them poking out.>
This is normal for these guys, they spend most of their time hiding in the rock with little legs sticking out catching floating particles.
<Yes, they do indeed! Many people mistake those for worms, but they're actually neat little Brittlestars (Ophiuroids)!
All of them are black and white ringed.
<That's pretty standard with these guys - black/white, gray/white, or even a pretty salmon and white!>
Bridget
<Thanks again! Take care -Lynn>

Brittle Sea Star?...Sounds like it 1/12/2008
Greetings and Happy New Year!
<And to you and yours! Mich here apologizing for the lengthy delay.>
About 8 months ago I procured a few coral specimens that were loaded with hitch hikers...
<OK.>
I noticed what I thought was a mini brittle sea star on the glass early in the morning before the light turned on about six months ago. It was about the size of a dime including legs.
<Sounds like a mini brittle star.>
I've seen it once or twice since then, a shy little thing. Tonight I saw a mass of legs poking out of my live rock. Each leg was probably 1" long. (definitely not green though! :)) It also had in its grasp some of the Mysis shrimp I was feeding my corals. I didn't think the mini stars got that large or ate Mysis; was I mistaken in my ID?
<Nope. All sounds consistent with mini brittle stars.>
Thanks,
<Welcome, Mich>
Susan

Re: Halichoeres trispilus 11/21/07 12/11/07. Peggy, FYI... Now Ophiarachna ID Hi Bob, <Hello Peg> Thanks for the id on the H. leucoxanthus. I concur on this identification after even a cursory look. I have one more for you. Came in on LR and is a big boy. Probably about 10" across leg tip to leg tip. <A beauty> Have him in the rock tank until I identify him. He appears to be an Ophiarachna judging by the pattern on the top of his central disc and the disc shape itself. <I concur> Does not appear to be O. incrassata to me. It's body is yellow/brown unlike the O. incrassata which has a very distinct green body. Would you care to opine? If he's not predatory, I'll add him to a large display. If he is, he'll have to stay in the rock tank. Just looking at him he appears to be predatory to me. I've attached a couple pics for you. Thanks again Bob. Peggy <No definitive ID... but the child taxa are listed here: http:// www.marinespecies.org/ophiuroidea/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=206179 Cheers, Bob Fenner>

Serpent Star Question 11/08/07
Reading tons of FAQ's and reading the RC forums I found myself confused. I understood brittle stars and serpent stars to be very different creatures.
<Um, not necessarily. And this is the problem with common names. "Serpent" and "brittle" could be used to describe different animals or they could be used to describe the same animal. Please see here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/brittlestars.htm>
I also understood green brittle stars to be very dangerous inhabitants to have in a reef tank, but I had never heard anything negative about green serpent stars.
In my tank I have assorted SPS, 2 hammer corals (separate near an overflow), assorted Zoanthids, 2 blue/green Chromis, 2 pajama cardinal, 2 black Ocellaris (1.5"), 2 peppermint shrimp, and 2 skunk shrimp, and also a 5"red and 5"green serpent star) The tank is a 120G containing about 150lbs of LR, with a 25G sump, and 35G rock, Chaeto and DSB Fuge.
About 1 week ago 1 blue/green Chromis, and 1 peppermint shrimp disappeared. I had previously wondered if there was any aggression in between fish, and in order to watch I set up a mirror and watched from the next room for several hours while surfing the web.
<cool idea>
There was no aggression I could see. Now after reading some posts from people about "dangerous green serpent stars" I wonder whether my green serpent star is the offender (there was no body found), or if someone was just mistaken and meant to right green brittle star.
<Maybe they weren't "mistaken" per se but simply had a different idea of how to use the name(s).>
To sum this all up, is the green serpent star dangerous, or does "green death" only apply to green brittle stars?
<I think that the names "green serpent" and "green brittle" are often used interchangeably. I've seen Ophioarachna incrassata called by either name. Again, this is the tragedy of common names. So, my friend, I'm sorry to say it sounds like you may likely have the dreaded "Green Death" star (yet another common name--though one a bit more specific in this case).>
Thank you so much in advance, you folks were a wonderful resources helping me get started.
Joshua
<Thank you and de nada,
Sara M.>