Kaizen Media Blog

Mini Serps March 2010

Kaizen Reef name: Mini Serps
Common name: Serpent Starfish / Brittle Starfish
Scientific name: Ophiura Ophiura

Physical description: This specimen is light brown in colour but they come in many colours. Five serpent like arms (rays) extend from the central disk.

Diet: Meat eating scavenger, frozen mysis shrimp, brimeshrimp, tiger shrimp as well as flake foods.

Important dates:
3/21/10: Added to the tank

Personal notes: We bought this serpent starfish after our sand sifting starfish died. Serpent starfish are known to be very hardy and live a long life in the home aquarium.

Kaizen Reef name: Serps
Common name: Serpent Starfish / Brittle Starfish
Scientific name: Ophiura Ophiura

Physical description: Our specimen is burgundy brownish in colour but they come in many colours. Five serpent like arms (rays) extend from the central disk.

Diet: Meat eating scavenger, lover of eating all things dead. Frozen mysis shrimp, brimeshrimp, tiger shrimp as well as Spirulina flake. To our amazement he also ate our astrea snail when he died… whole in one bite.

Important dates:
7/17/09: Added to the tank

Personal notes: We have not sexed Serps but refer to him as a male specimen. Serps is remarkable and fascinates us immensely. The most enjoyable time is during feeding when he comes out of the rocks and steals the show. We especially enjoy feeding him pieces of shrimp and have used straws to give it to him directly. He uses his rays (arms) to move the food to his mouth (which is under his disc) similar to an elephant’s use of their trunk. He can also pass the food from one ‘foot’ to the next down the length of his arm straight into his mouth. He spends most of his time in the rocks and usually only comes out to switch locations and eat.

Here are some videos of our Serpent Starfish (ophiura ophiura) eating and being active.

Serps eating a piece of shrimp.

Here he falls down, looking a bit human-like, quite an amazing little creature.