brittle star behaviour

[i have crabs]

last night (full moon) i looked in my tank wich just had moon lights on and seen my brittle star (about 10") out on the sand close to the glass. wich i thought was strange since it always stays under the rocks and never goes out in the open,so i was watching for a minuite and it started climbing the glass went up the whole 28" and then crossed the tank about 2-1/2 feet sideways,i didnt even know brittles could let alone why it would do this,any ideas on what it was up to?

 

[lando]

Looking for food. Mine comes out after lights out to scavenge as well.

 

[roka64]

I think they are nocturnal and he was probably out munchin....

 

[i have crabs]

is it not strange that it was on the glass though? ive never herd of that before.

 

[roka64]

Could be he "sensed" better grazing places.....

 

[Scoot]

Mine used to come out any time I fed him, but since I added a big rock (about 20 pounds) he's made his home there and never comes out. Once in awhile I can see a leg or two sticking out, and he retracts as soon as a flashlight hits him.

This pic is back when he used to be more social. Then my parrotfish took a bite out of one of his arms, and he's been reclusive since.

 

[swjunkie]

Are you feeding him anything? Mine stays hidden under a rock all the time. I know when he does come out he is hungry so I feed him pieces of silverside.

 

[2revup]

I know mine (blue linka) only moves around at night he has a place in the top corner on my glass, and some times 1 particular rock. Not strange at all.
by the way scoot great pic.

 

[Scoot]

Thanks 2revup - I actually have about 20 in that series. The sun was coming in through the window just right (on the other side of the house, a rare thing), and lighting up the tank with natural light. He came out, and so did all the other inverts. Everything, my cleaner shrimp, about 10 hermits, everything, all in a 8" diameter area. It was cool, an invert party, sort of.

I just wish he came out now. He's always hiding.

 

[i have crabs]

as fas as feeding i usally drop a bunch of pellets or a chunk of shrimp for either of the 2 stars and the shrimp to fight over,also about a month ago this same star was reaching up against the glass so just 2 legs were supporting it and the other 3 were reaching up the glass and it spewed a large amount of a redish brown crud out of its mouth for about 20-30 secound wich clouded up the tank for a few minuits then just cleared up,im guessing it was something to do with reproducing but have never seen this kind of behaviour from this or the other serpent star in the 2 years ive had them for.