This species of brittle star reaches a maximum size of 3”. Most are usually 1-2” when shipped out.
These are part of an excellent cleanup crew scavenging detritus, waste, decaying matter and algae off of rocks. They are also great for aerating the sandbed.
They can break off their arms as a means to escape predators and can typically grow up to 7 arms! These arms do not have tube feet like most sea stars. Instead they have flexible arms covered in papillae that contain sensory organs and can rapidly change their tissue consistency from solid to liquid.
These can reproduce in two ways, through fission, pulling themselves apart to create a clone or by broadcasting sperm and holding eggs within a respiratory cavity until they reach a juvenile stage and are released from the sea star through little slits in the arms near the center of its body called the bursal slits. They typically go to the highest point in the tank releasing white milky sperm into high flowing areas. They have a lifespan of roughly 5 years.
While they may not have a brain, heart or head they do contain a nervous system and can feel pain.