Brittle Star Activity

[dastrader]

I removed a carbon bag (chemipure elite) from the back of my tank to rinse (28 JBJ Nano). I had turned off the pumps to try not to stir anything up but I hadn't cleaned out the back chambers (or the small hang on back refuge) in a while so when the pumps came back on it clouded the tank.

I also had 4 or 5 brittle stars that I took off the bag and dropped into the DT. Now I have a lot of brittle stars, but I almost always only see the legs come out for food. But now, there are tons completely out in the open (many on top of each other or near each other) and they all appear to be raised op (standing) on all legs in the shape of a dome. One of the biggest ones, i could see ejecting some kind of cloudy liquid from it's body a few times over the course of a few minutes.

I am sure others have seen this (I'm still somewhat new at just over a year). Some kind of mating thing? Or just all trying to get whatever they could from the temp cloudy water (my corals were all extended too)

just curious
Thanks in advance.

 

[Nickjr000]

Baby makin maybe. Interesting

 

[Phyl]

Pictures would have been priceless. I don't suppose you caught any?

 

[dastrader]

Unfortunately not. My wife took the camera on a business trip to Florida this morning. I was running around the house looking for it before I remembered she took it. They stayed out in that position for about 5 minutes or so. Something in the water gave them all the same signal becuase they were doing it all over the tank (all be it a small tank). I turned away for a minute, and when I came back, they were all back in there hiding spots.