pistol shrimp/ starfish squabble?

[thegrobe]

I have one small red starfish, I don't know what kind, about 1", that I have recently introduced to my tank (3 weeks) I also have a pistol shrimp. The last week or so, once the lights go out, I hear quite a bit more snapping from the shrimp than usual, especially when the starfish has wandered into "his" territory. The last couple of days, the star is missing tips of his arms, and these areas are looking "melty" :? . Have I made a compatibility mistake putting them together? my lfs said it was okay. What should I do? Could it die soon?

 

[steve-s]

One of the problems with pistols is that anything that wanders into or near it's burrow is "fair game". Keep in mind these shrimp are blind so any opportunity for food is not passed up. They are not aggressive hunters that scour the tank but are a threat of sorts.

Cheers
Steve