Starfish ID

ginpang · 07/23/2017, 06:46 PM

Looks like a protoreaster. Was received and sold under chocolate chip starfish.

1st attempt at feeding it to harlequin shrimp was seemingly typical. She went after it, stood on it's head flipped it over and dragged it somewhere. Then proceeded to inspect the tubefeet and let it go!!!

I took it out and put it in one of our plankton tanks. Waited a few days tried it again .
2 nd attempt ignored it

Then tried a 3rd time a few days later figuring she'd be super hungry fasting for almost 25 days ( with a few asterinas here and there) .
I put the starfish next to her as she usually grabs it out of my hands.

She actually ran away from it.

I had gone and gotten a "regular" P. Nodosus as back up. As soon as I dropped it in she came to take it.

It has red/brown tubefeet instead of the beige colour of nodosus and linckii. Otherwise basically looks like a faded version of choco chip.

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ginpang · 07/23/2017, 06:49 PM

Here she is with a regular choco chip

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ginpang · 07/24/2017, 07:47 AM

Another angle on dark tube feet.

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ginpang · 07/24/2017, 07:50 AM

And here's the regular beige tubefeet with white tips

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gogo7 · 07/24/2017, 10:25 PM

this is interesting gingpang.

ginpang · 07/25/2017, 03:28 AM

Thanks! Apparently everyone seems as puzzled as I .
Since no answers

My best guess so far would've been colour variations depending on geographic location but that wouldn't explain taste differences (? )If that's the case . A subspecies might explain an adaptation or defence mechanism that regular choco chip do not possess.

I was hoping an echinoderm expert would chime In.

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pagojoe · 07/26/2017, 05:44 AM

I think it's interesting too, but I don't know enough about echinoderms to be any help. If your curiosity can't be satisfied, you could always track down Dr. Gordon Hendler of LACM and see if he can't give you an ID. He'd probably be interested in the shrimp behavior also.

ginpang · 07/27/2017, 12:52 AM

Thank you for the reference @ pagojoe.

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Monkeyfish · 08/22/2017, 11:55 AM

OP - Did you ever find out the sp. of the star?

ginpang · 08/23/2017, 05:17 PM

No unfortunately I didn't follow through on the endeavour.
Life got a bit hectic , our parrots made babies we had to ween with a serynge every few hours.

Clownfish and gobiodons made babies too and my rotifer culture keeps crashing with flatworms and medusa hydroids.

Anywho I tried feeding it to the harlequin shrimp a fourth time after letting her scavenge on very sparse asterina population for about 10 days and she finally took it.

She seemed reluctant at first but she eventually went for it.

I'll try and upload the video later .

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ginpang · 11/27/2017, 03:46 PM

It’s happening again...with another light cream coloured one.

It usually goes through a regular chocolate chip in 3 weeks to a month.

She’s been working on this one for 2 weeks and only two arms are gone.

She let’s it go pretty often and goes back I’m guessing when she has no alternative.

I will wait to see if she sheds in the next few days for they usually slow down feeding when they are about to molt.

If not I think

this time it could be interesting info to send

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07/23/2017, 06:46 PM	#1
ginpang Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2015 Posts: 612	Starfish ID Looks like a protoreaster. Was received and sold under chocolate chip starfish. 1st attempt at feeding it to harlequin shrimp was seemingly typical. She went after it, stood on it's head flipped it over and dragged it somewhere. Then proceeded to inspect the tubefeet and let it go!!! I took it out and put it in one of our plankton tanks. Waited a few days tried it again . 2 nd attempt ignored it Then tried a 3rd time a few days later figuring she'd be super hungry fasting for almost 25 days ( with a few asterinas here and there) . I put the starfish next to her as she usually grabs it out of my hands. She actually ran away from it. I had gone and gotten a "regular" P. Nodosus as back up. As soon as I dropped it in she came to take it. It has red/brown tubefeet instead of the beige colour of nodosus and linckii. Otherwise basically looks like a faded version of choco chip. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

07/25/2017, 03:28 AM	#6
ginpang Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2015 Posts: 612	Starfish ID Thanks! Apparently everyone seems as puzzled as I . Since no answers My best guess so far would've been colour variations depending on geographic location but that wouldn't explain taste differences (? )If that's the case . A subspecies might explain an adaptation or defence mechanism that regular choco chip do not possess. I was hoping an echinoderm expert would chime In. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Last edited by ginpang; 07/25/2017 at 03:49 AM.

08/22/2017, 11:55 AM	#9
Monkeyfish Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Long Island (NY) Posts: 4,077	OP - Did you ever find out the sp. of the star? __________________ Eric "One thing that humbles me deeply is to see that human genius has its limits while human stupidity does not." Current Tank Info: Taking a break

07/23/2017, 06:49 PM	#2
ginpang Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2015 Posts: 612	Here she is with a regular choco chip Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

07/24/2017, 07:47 AM	#3
ginpang Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2015 Posts: 612	Another angle on dark tube feet. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

07/24/2017, 07:50 AM	#4
ginpang Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2015 Posts: 612	And here's the regular beige tubefeet with white tips Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

07/24/2017, 10:25 PM	#5
gogo7 pico reefer Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: ontario canada Posts: 435	this is interesting gingpang.

07/26/2017, 05:44 AM	#7
pagojoe Team RC Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Conroe, TX Posts: 2,761	I think it's interesting too, but I don't know enough about echinoderms to be any help. If your curiosity can't be satisfied, you could always track down Dr. Gordon Hendler of LACM and see if he can't give you an ID. He'd probably be interested in the shrimp behavior also.

07/27/2017, 12:52 AM	#8
ginpang Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2015 Posts: 612	Thank you for the reference @ pagojoe. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

08/23/2017, 05:17 PM	#10
ginpang Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2015 Posts: 612	No unfortunately I didn't follow through on the endeavour. Life got a bit hectic , our parrots made babies we had to ween with a serynge every few hours. Clownfish and gobiodons made babies too and my rotifer culture keeps crashing with flatworms and medusa hydroids. Anywho I tried feeding it to the harlequin shrimp a fourth time after letting her scavenge on very sparse asterina population for about 10 days and she finally took it. She seemed reluctant at first but she eventually went for it. I'll try and upload the video later . Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

11/27/2017, 03:46 PM	#11
ginpang Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2015 Posts: 612	It’s happening again...with another light cream coloured one. It usually goes through a regular chocolate chip in 3 weeks to a month. She’s been working on this one for 2 weeks and only two arms are gone. She let’s it go pretty often and goes back I’m guessing when she has no alternative. I will wait to see if she sheds in the next few days for they usually slow down feeding when they are about to molt. If not I think this time it could be interesting info to send Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk