The Brittle Star

Brittle stars are one of the most fascinating scavengers found in reef tanks. Usually a member of the "clean up crew," brittle stars reside in live rock and consume detritus, catching food as it is carried on the current. They are nocturnal and they crawl across the sand, rock, and glass at night in search of uneaten food, fish waste, or decaying matter.

Brittle stars can grow quite large so I wouldn't recommend one for a tank smaller than ten gallons. Also, if you choose one for a nano tank, be sure to supplement the star's diet with bits of shrimp or other carnivorous food. I feed mine sun-dried baby shrimp. I place a small bit on a wooden skewer and target feed the star by hovering the shrimp near a leg. Instantly, if its hungry, it will grab the piece.

A firefish goby leapt from my tank. After it resuscitated, I released the fish from the net and it floated to the bottom, near the star's rock. Immediately, the tentacles were out in full force, smelling the injured fish. Three tentacles wrapped around the fish like an octopus before the goby broke free.

Brittle stars are reef safe and make a good contribution to almost any system. However, beware of the green brittle star; this species sometimes attacks fish and corals.