# Serpent star, will it regenerate it's disk?



## Crayon (Apr 13, 2014)

I got both the red serpent stars that Notclear (Albert) was selling when he shut his tank down. This was about a month ago. They were about 12" across fully stretched out.
One of them acclimated fine, the other not so fine.
Generally, if a star fish looses its central disk it has no way of eating and it dies. This one kinda shed the top of the disk but the mouth is in tact. I thought it was a goner, and a few times I went to grab it to take it out and it moved. So I've left it.
It's still moving, responding to food and sort of active.
The question is, has anyone seen a starfish regenerate it's disk? If they can regenerate legs, can they do the disk, too?
The photo is really bad, but trust me, it still has a mouth, just no head.


----------



## notclear (Nov 5, 2011)

Oh sorry to hear that one is not doing well.


----------



## tom g (Jul 8, 2009)

*bristlestar fish*

hey there Cheryl that sucks , when I first started I had a green bristlestarfish 
he was huge ,and did the same thing ,I let mine go a few weeks as everytime I thought he was a gonner id see him move .I got very upset seeing him with no flesh I just took him out and threw him out , at that time I didn't really have an idea on research .I couldn't stand to watch him wither away ..
let us know


----------



## Crayon (Apr 13, 2014)

Well, the starfish is still alive.
Can't get a pic of it, it's wedged under a rock. Not sure what the disk looks like today. But it went after food, so it's trying.


----------



## cica (Feb 10, 2013)

That's a good news. So there is still hope for the poor thing.


----------



## Crayon (Apr 13, 2014)

It is over three weeks since I first posted, and almost 2 months since my poor starfish lost his head.

He's still eating, moving and responding to food.

I really can't tell if he is growing new tissue, but something must be happening. The areas of his head with no tissue are not as white as they used to be, and seem to be getting some kind of covering.

Still can't get a pic. He's under the rock and I don't want to disturb him.


----------



## carl (Feb 11, 2010)

I have had good results when I squirt melafix on the affected area a couple times per day, it helps control bacteria so the starfish heals faster


----------



## Crayon (Apr 13, 2014)

carl said:


> I have had good results when I squirt melafix on the affected area a couple times per day, it helps control bacteria so the starfish heals faster


Good idea. Except he stays under a rock. Might have to get my horse needle and put an acrylic tube on it for spot treatment.

In the mean time, here is a current look at the poor boy.
Still kicking.


----------



## Crayon (Apr 13, 2014)

This is the star fish today. Slow process, not sure he's really growing very much. It's been 3 months, so he must be eating.


----------



## characinfan (Dec 24, 2008)

Very interesting to see its progress. I hope it grows back well.


----------



## Crayon (Apr 13, 2014)

*Update on star fish*

My starfish lost his head in about April or so this year. Since then, it did regrow some tissue around the head, but the head never came back completely.
I fed it directly when I could see it, but for the last month or so, it's been hiding,
It came out of hiding Christmas Day so I fed it. Didn't eat. Som flesh had healed up around the arms, so it was making progress, but unfortunately yesterday it died.
Bottom line.
If I had a quarantine tank that I could have kept him in and target fed at least twice a week, there is a chance it might have recovered. No way it lived eight months without eating (I don't think), but I think it might have needed a bit more support than I was about to give him in the last month.


----------



## notclear (Nov 5, 2011)

Oh, so sorry to hear that.


----------



## littletnklvr (Nov 1, 2010)

That's to bad, I love serpent stars it was nice that you tried!


----------



## Crayon (Apr 13, 2014)

Quick update, I know sometimes we don’t post disappointing or bad issues, but this is relevant. About a month ago I got two new star fish and didn’t quarantine them. They were in the same tank as my red serpent stars including the one that had lost his head.

Star fish have had virus issues in some oceans, not necessarily from Australia where the two new star fish were from but there are star fish viruses probably all over the world. I lost one of my new starfish a day before my red serpent star died. A few days later I lost all the other star fish in the tank.

So bottom line is, I think this starfish would have survived if it hadn’t been so susceptible to a virus.

Second bottom line. Quarantine everything.


----------

