Pictures replaced by post above.
Today, our Gigawidget award goes to a shrimp. A Harlequin shrimp to be precise. All 1.25 inches of him. This specimen has been in the tank for around 5 months, and “handled” 4 other starfish. Each without too much trouble. He has molted twice, in this tank.
Pictures below are taken with an IPhone, the quality sucks, as you see. Maybe it’s better than no picture at all though…? This picture shows an outing the shrimp took on some macro algae. It is quiet unusual for the shrimp to be out like this during the day. He may be hungry…
Pictures replaced in post above.
Yesterday, the largest starfish yet was introduced. He’s about 4.5 inches in diameter.
5 PM Saturday – In this picture, the starfish is walking the glass. When he was first placed in the tank, he was placed on the glass. You can place starfish on the glass by holding them against it for a few seconds, until they stick. He’s moved around the tank, but never left the sides, and mostly stayed at near the top of the tank.
11 PM Saturday – Starfish is hanging around the top of the tank, on the glass. If he keeps with this plan, he may make it thru the night. He looks like the world’s largest starfish in this picture.
6 AM Sunday – The Starfish made it thru the night. Here, you can see the shrimp, standing on the monti-cap, watching the starfish on the glass. Our Gigawidget would crawl from coral to coral, watching, angling on his attack. Occasionally, the Harlequin would wave his front claws around and around like a “battle cry”. In true form, this gigawidget has risen to the occassion, left his normal caverns, and stands in the open on top of the highest vantage point/coral, intently watching his foe.
9 AM Sunday – Halides came on in the tank, and the shrimp went to his cave. It seems the shrimp does not like the bright lights.
4 PM Sunday – Starfish continues to wonder around the tank sides.
7 AM Tuesday – Notice I said Tuesday. The chase continued thru Monday and the early hours of Tuesday morning. Sometime before 7 AM Tuesday morning, the starfish got close enough to the bottom of the tank, or this fan (picture), that the attack was on. Our Gigawidget went to work on the shrimp and it didn’t take long. Soon the shrimp pried the starfish from the fan, flipped him to the bottom of the tank, and began the feast.
