brittle star....no legs

[warr40]

hey i bought 2 brittle stars about 2 weeks ago today i found one dead with no legs and the other was moving slowing with about half his legs gone whats wrong?

[dc]

Shock? Did you acclimate them properly?

[ophiuroid]

I agree. What are your specific water parameters and how did you acclimate? How old is your tank?

They can regrow them, but if your parameters are not ideal, then there is little hope. Sso it is imperative to know ASAP so they can be corrected if needed. Specific gravity is one of the biggest problems.

[lakehorse61]

i got a red brittle star about 8 months ago. something ate (i guess) 3 of its legs. they have grown back out now but are a different color. kinda funky looking.

[lisaFL]

I was going to buy sea stars, the guys at the saltwater store said that bacteria can like eat away their legs, or make them fall off. Never buy any at the store with a missing leg, it could kill it. Just wait for the next shipment and come back, thats what i did.

[ophiuroid]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8368402#post8368402 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by lisaFL
I was going to buy sea stars, the guys at the saltwater store said that bacteria can like eat away their legs, or make them fall off. Never buy any at the store with a missing leg, it could kill it. Just wait for the next shipment and come back, thats what i did.

I disagree, personally, this is a misconception just like Linckia are killed by being touched or being exposed to air (also not true). They lose arms because it is a stress response - normal - and why they earn the name "brittlestar." They also lose them due to acclimation problems. It is not due to bacteria or disease or predation in the majority of cases, IMO. This is a misconception in most cases. Brittlestars have a rather amazing assemblage of symbiotic bacteria that allow them to recover without apparent infection from incredible damage to the animal.

However, it could very well be a sign that your LFS does not properly acclimate. In addition, there is no reason to avoid a star simply because some arms are missing. In many cases, there is no concern. If it does not continue to deteriorate in a few days, it is likely fine. This does not apply, however, to Linckia or Fromia seastars (though Linckia normally due have unequal arms).

Arms are commonly lost on brittlestars in transport. It is not a reason necessarily to avoid the star. However, I would recommend that you ask your LFS if they acclimate or what their parameters are. If the parameters are low (less than 1.025) then I would avoid seastars from them in general.

[Grunt]

I recently had a 1-1/2inch gorilla crab I knew nothing about for well over a year devastate some new stars/featherdusters. I had lost other stock but never knew the culprit until I took a flashnight at night with a red lens. Caught him red handed :P

You may have predators in your tank.
Acclimation with all inverts is the key, long and slow.
Stars lose arms either from poor shipping/handling, stressors, or defense.

You don't own any Harlequin shrimp do you? :D