Brittle star

[ggunn]

Thanks all, especially for the pics. My granddaughter (4) watched a brittle star being fed in an aquarium and was fascinated. She told me about it and wanted me too see one on my next dive trip. I think that I can pretty much assure her that I will at this point.

When my daughter was about 6 and before I started diving, I used to snorkel out behind Blue Angel (La Perla at the time) and bring up brittle stars and stuff for her to play with in the shallow water. Once I picked up a bristle worm, which taught me a valuable lesson.

 

[sharky60]

I've been somewhat obsessed with getting the perfect shot of a brittle seastar for the past couple years...still hasn't happened, but you can find them, in and around almost any purple tube sponge, or almost any tube sponge at all for that matter.

Don't know if they feed of sponges or if there is something more symbiotic (sp?) going on there, but that is your best bet.

they are easily found in the shallows, Villablaca (Blue Angel), Columbia and with the abundance of sponges on Villablanca Wall, you are sure to find them there.

 

[Harro10]

Thanks again. I know from my granddaughter that they love to eat dried shrimp but that may not be useful information in Cozumel. Maybe a small piece of lionfish will do.

 

[PARADISE HUNTER]

I saw them on just about every dive last month. You should have no problems.

Have fun!

PH