Elegant Brittle Star

As the name implies, the arms of the brittle stars are rather liable to break.

Common Name(s): Elegant Brittle Star, Black Brittle Star,
Scientific/Other Name(s) : Ophiomastix variabilis
Care Level : Easy
Maximum Size: 11"
Minimum Tank Size: 50 gallons
Reef Safe: No
Feeding Requirements: Brine Shrimps, Flakes, Frozen Food
Temperament / Behavior: Peaceful
Other Comments:
Black bodied with long arms. All intermittently marked with yellow and with tubercles or spines extending upward along each of its five arms that help the creature locate food

Brittle Stars will eat anything that the other aquarium inhabitants consume so it is best to feed them at least once a day, or every other day at the least. As long as the central disc of the star is meaty in appearance, the Brittle Star can be considered well fed. If the Brittle Star goes hungry then it will begin predatory hunting and may attack small fish and ornamental shrimps and snails.

As the name implies, the arms of the brittle stars are rather liable to break. This is actually an escape mechanism. Their arms regrow quickly and an entire new organism can regenerate, if the broken arm is attached to a seizable portion of the disk. Brittle stars can reproduce asexually by self-division. Brittle stars are the most active and fastest moving echinoderms
Not safely kept with encrusting invertebrate. Needs plenty of green matter.

They are intollerant of all copper-based medications.