Reef Builders - The Source for Reef Keeping Information

checker Jim · #1 (**permalink**) 12-09-2007, 12:10 PM

two days ago my bristle star wasn't looking so good and by that evening was not moving at all. well there was a bunch of feeder shrimp that flipped the table and turned him into lunch. they ate the entire thing in about a day, but for some reason they left one arm alone. well this morning I went to check the progress and see if anything was left of the star. and the one arm that was left had crawled itself under a rock!. its still alive!! there is nothing left of the rest of the star but that one arm and it is now hiding under a rock but that one arm is still curling up and moving around... AMAZING! I have never seen anything like this. I have heard you can cut a stars arm off and it will regrow an entire body from that but from what I read there must be a portion of the center body left. anyone else had this happen before? and seen it regrow? I am anxious to see how it go's I had already wrote him off as a goner oh well guess time will tell..

e_baer · #2 (**permalink**) 12-09-2007, 12:14 PM

That is really cool. Are you sure its not just the current moving it?

Take some pics, we want to see it!

checker Jim · #3 (**permalink**) 12-09-2007, 12:25 PM

yep it is definatley still alive. you can clearly see each little "hair" move around on it... heres a pic of whats left..staralive.jpg

e_baer · #4 (**permalink**) 12-09-2007, 12:56 PM

that is wild!

thelastmucci · #5 (**permalink**) 12-09-2007, 12:58 PM

that's nuts...really cool...I hope it does grow back that would be great.

Jeremy0322 · #6 (**permalink**) 12-09-2007, 09:59 PM

If it grows back that would be awesome. Then you could take it, put it in a separate tank, and chop all the new arms back. Then you would end up with 5 starfish, which would be super sweet. Sounds mean, but you get free stars out of it, lol.

rlcline76 · #7 (**permalink**) 12-10-2007, 09:42 AM

My star lost part of its leg like that...and it moved. No new starfish though.

checker Jim · #8 (**permalink**) 12-10-2007, 12:22 PM

from what I have read it is supposed to have a portion of the main disc of the body to be able to regenerate another complete body.. this is only a leg, but I just looked at it again this morning and its still kicken'

e_baer · #9 (**permalink**) 12-10-2007, 01:59 PM

maybe it is like a bug when it dies, it still twitches but isnt alive.

thelastmucci · #10 (**permalink**) 12-10-2007, 02:18 PM

only cockroaches do that sillyness...all bugs when squished or eaten by a cat usually die...unless said cat is just "playing" with said bug then all bets are off.

checker Jim · #11 (**permalink**) 12-10-2007, 02:18 PM

could be... I wish I had some way of showing you like a video or something. its strange cause the leg is still moving a few days later as if the whole body is still there. its not just twitching.. each little hair on it is moving in sync.. its strange..

e_baer · #12 (**permalink**) 12-10-2007, 02:21 PM

well, in a 240g tank if it decays its not a huge deal, so it will be neat to see how it developes over the next few months.

checker Jim · #13 (**permalink**) 12-10-2007, 03:08 PM

I dont have my 240 anymore.. this is in what I thought was a 120 but after calculating the size its about 85 gal.

e_baer · #14 (**permalink**) 12-10-2007, 05:34 PM

well, still not gonna do much damage.

checker Jim · #15 (**permalink**) 12-10-2007, 07:30 PM

naw I dont think so.. there is nothing left of him but that one arm!! and its still kicken.. those little feeder shrimp dont mess around..

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