Is it possible that my Serpent Star Fish has ate My Gobie??

[Bezzer11]

I recently brought a starfish from my LFS, it is a dark grey colour with darker bands on its legs. The legs are long & the body is about 1 inch round.

I got him as my LFS said he would be great for eating up dead food waste & would a good choice along with crabs & snails as part of the clean up crew.

After about 2 days my Gobie has gone missing?? Cant find him anywhere looked all in the rock, but nothing??

He was out the day before swimming around feeding & looked fine.

i doubt he died in the night although its possible, but would a starfish eat him while alive???

Its the only thing i can think would of happened to him as nothing else in my tank would of done it.

[Macca]

any chance of a pic?

[dougs3955]

Hi Bezzer,,

I've read a quite a bit about serpent's & i dont remember it ever suggesting they would hunt down a healthy fish !!
hope not because i have them on my list of critters when i get started,,

i'm sure the guys on here could throw some light on the subject,,,


Doug.

[r60sgr]

I'd have thought if the starfish got it then the goby died first but Macca's your man if you get a picture of the starfish bud. Stewart

[Bezzer11]

Hi Guys,

Cheers for your replies, I've now attached a picture.

I cant think my gobie was of ill health as he was feeding & looked fin the night before he went missing.

[r60sgr]

I've got a big black serpent star and it's never bothered with any fish so in my experience would still think the goby died first. Sometimes gobies look like they're eating and just spit it out again. One other possibility - do you have any bristleworms? They can sting fish and then the serpent star moves in. Would need to be fairly big though.

Maybe someone else can offer a story of serpent stars eating healthy fish bud. Sorry can't be of more help

Stewart

[ShyTalk]

I'm convinced big bristleworms got my scooter blenny while he was asleep in the substrate, one minute he was fine, next he was dragged under a rock and munched....i am biased though, i hate the damned things!

I have heard of some stars eating fish though, especially big stars, some actively hunt fish, hiding in caves and dropping on fish that swim under them, not sure if that is just a particular species or not, i was told not to add a big star to my little nano for that reason...personally i'd blame the bristleworms....for anything!

[dougs3955]

Bezzer,

your Serpent looks to be in the best of Health,Gobie diet or not, he's a real beauty, Keep your eye on him but i think he may need a larger home,
would be interested if he causes you more problems??

good luck


Doug

[cl0wn]

IIRC the green serpents hunt by using the method shy talk describes. i've always been told the others are safe.

[dougs3955]

cl0wn ?,, if what your saying is true then Bezzer should take the Serpent back to his LFS and get a Gobie refund,, dont you think ??