Brittle star eating fish

Paul B · Jan 19, 2011

I don't have any idea how many brittle stars are in my reef but there are loads of them. Today I saw my dragon wrasse eat one. I don't remember ever seeing a fish eating one of these things because, well beacuse, they are brittle and have the consistancy of glass.
The wrasse pulled it out of a rock by it's arm and kept chewing it and spitting it out until the thing was completely consumed.
You would think I don't feed him enough. :eyebrows:

Krish · Jan 19, 2011

Wow!! Never heard of anything like before either Paul! Wonder if this is one of the reasons wrasses dig down in the sand a bit...Looking for food.

On a side note, I know you a kind of love for copperband butterfly fish. If you go to the home page, Kevin (KevinPo) just put up nice little article on them that you might like to browse at. There is also a comment space at the bottom of it for any responses anyone wanted to make. Just thought I'd pass that on. When I saw the article, you were the first person that ran across my mind.

Paul B · Jan 19, 2011

Thanks Krish, they are one of my favorite fish

thatguy559 · Jan 19, 2011

they are my new favorite fish besides my new leopard wrasse!!! on that note i witness my leopard wrasse do the same thing!! just yesterday i was gonna post a thread on it and saw this!!! i also saw him carrying a asternia starfish across the tank and drop it in the rocks

TJL · Jan 19, 2011

Yes, Wrasses love little inverts for snacks. Both my Leopard & Radiant wrasse enjoy hunting and eating the little Brittle Stars plus Asterina and any small snails like Pyramidal and such. My Coraline Algae has finally started to make a come back as the Asterina population is now controlled.

Todd

mcoomer · Jan 19, 2011

Yeah, I've heard of them eating Asterina stars but a brittle star? That's a pretty hefty snack!

Faciosity · Jan 19, 2011

I've seen my LPS corals eating them, and also my Coral banded shrimp I used to have. My LPS corals also enjoy eating stomatella snails!

nata · Jan 19, 2011

I saw my christmas wrasse having one for snack too and he is fed very well...

user 26995 · Jan 20, 2011

My hawaiian saddle wrasse picked up a mini brittle star the other day, while they were having their "spawning event" and dropped it. Guess he didnt like it cause he left it alone.