More ID help please.... Starfish?

[beth_castroll]

another phenomenal day. Palancar Caves and Gardens.
Lots of little worms which I love. Found this dude. At first I thought tiny octopus but now I'm thinking starfish.
My fish I'd book is to heavy for vacation. Can someone I'd?

 

[CuzzA]

Brittle starfish.

 

[MMM]

Brittle starfish.

YEP

 

[Bratface]

Brittle star. There are several varieties.

 

[T.C.]

Yep; a Banded-Arm Brittle Star to be precise.

 

[ggunn]

Yes to the above. We sometimes see them in swarms.

 

[BRT]

Lots of them out on night dives. They will run from your light.

 

[tursiops]

The brittle stars have small calcite crystals embedded along their arms, and under each crystal is a nerve bundle. The distributed crystals take in any light and focus it on the nerve bundle, so it is a very primitive eye system that can sense the shadow of a predator and the direction it is coming from. They do NOT like light. in fact, the chromophores in their tissue turn dark during the day to act as simple sunglasses, so they can still "see" in the bright light.

 

[JamesBon92007]

They are very squiggly here in SoCal but when you touch them they become "brittle."

 

[T.C.]

The brittle stars have small calcite crystals embedded along their arms, and under each crystal is a nerve bundle. The distributed crystals take in any light and focus it on the nerve bundle, so it is a very primitive eye system that can sense the shadow of a predator and the direction it is coming from. They do NOT like light. in fact, the chromophores in their tissue turn dark during the day to act as simple sunglasses, so they can still "see" in the bright light.

That’s awesome. Thank You.