Green brittle star

Care at a glance

The green brittle star is greenish brown with distinct banding on the arms and grows considerably larger than ordinary brittle stars. It looks much like its harmless relatives, but it behaves differently.

This species actively hunts: it forms a dome with raised arms under which it traps sleeping fish and shrimp, which regularly leads to unexplained disappearances in the tank. If you want to keep small gobies, firefish or shrimp, choose a different brittle star.

Good to know

• Active at night
• Preys on shrimp and snails

Best not combined with

• Yellow watchman gobyCryptocentrus cinctus
• Neon gobyElacatinus oceanops
• Cleaner shrimpLysmata amboinensis
• Fire shrimpLysmata debelius
• Peppermint shrimpLysmata wurdemanni
• Sexy shrimpThor amboinensis
• Harlequin shrimpHymenocera picta

Related species

• Brittle starOphiuroidea sp.
• Feather duster wormSabellastarte spectabilis
• Sand sifting starfishAstropecten polyacanthus
• Social feather dusterBispira brunnea
• Magnificent feather dusterSabellastarte magnifica
• Tuxedo urchinMespilia globulus