asterina star eating zoa?

[modelrr]

I noticed an asterina starfish wrapped around one of my zoas all day today.... looked again this evening and the starfish was gone, and the polyp it was wrapped around was all shredded up.

 

I didn't know these things ate zoas. Has anyone else had a similar experience?

[NRehman]

Yes. I noticed this for my asterina stars and it didn't seem to bother me...until today. :( I tend to enjoy a more naturalistic aquarium with both the "good" and the "bad".

 

Anyhow, I just got a pair of harlequin shrimp. If results are of note, I will post as I have several hundred stars. Now, that may also mean that once the work is done, these mated (so they seem) pair of harlequins may need new quarters to continue their work as contract killers!

Edited February 5, 2008 by NRehman

[Origami]

You'll find several here who haven't had a problem. I found some recently in my 29g setup and promptly removed them because of stuff I'd read on garf.org, though (in my short exposure to the hobby) I've never seen the problem personally. However, here's a link to another forum thread where the author used to let asterina's live in his system, but regretted it as they started going after his zoas. Pix are included in the thread. http://www.club-zoa.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7213 It appears that some people have a problem and others don't. This author states that they had begun to "overrun" his tank and preying on his zoas. It could be that, below a certain threshold, competition is light enough that preying on other sources such as corals is not required. That's just a guess, though. In any case, it would appear that you're not alone.

[davelin315]

Off topic, but Nadir, you may want to get a bulk order of chocolate chip stars from one of the vendors, see what they can do for you. Chop them up and then toss them in the freezer for later use (or stick them in a sump). The harlequin shrimp eat only the tube feet of echinoderms, and the asterina stars are pretty difficult to get a decent meal out of. You can also substitute urchins as they sometimes will adapt and eat those, as well.

[NRehman]

Off-topic...

Thanks Dave. Will just do that. AND I forgot that I do have a sea urchin which I like in the tank! Will get it out ASAP.

 

I read about the harlequins and plan to keep some chocolate stars in the sump. The harlequins are pretty small. Will set up a thread on the results.

[davelin315]

I found them to be very easy to care for, one of the least demanding, with the exception of diet, shrimp. They are not aggressive, they don't fight, and they pretty much just hang out (not that any shrimp is difficult to keep, but they were never any trouble for me).

[smarsh97]

I have found that the all white asterina's don't bother zoa's but the pinkish/brownish ones will eat them up.

 

Pretty disturbing to see your Xmen's get eaten up by those durn little stars.

 

Sandy

[Lizzie]

wait i though & was told that asterina starfish were harmless, ate algae, and that i shouldnt worry about them... i have like 4 or more in my tank. now im worried -_______-

[smarsh97]

I was told the same thing and then......... they ate the Xmen's and then almost a whole colony of pink zoa's.

 

Sandy

[treesprite]

I have the things all over my tank, the white ones with a little gray on top. I haven't seen any on corals or the couple little zoa frags that I have.

[smarsh97]

I never had a problem with the white ones. It was the pinkish/brownish colored ones that caused all my problems.

 

I have no more, thank goodness.

 

Sandy

[lanman]

From what I've read - it APPEARS that the Asterina's might eat 'distressed' zoa's. I have dozens of the things, and I've never seen them munching on healthy zoa's. But I do keep my eyes open against the possibility.

 

bob

[gastone]

I've had asterinas for years. Only ever noticed them eating diatoms off the glass and coraline algae. Then a few months ago I noticed them "eating" some of my fancy, colorfully named zoanthids. Hmmmm....

 

Go back in time about a year or so. A buddy of mine broke down his nano and gave me all of the contents. Fast forward to this past weekend when said friend was in town. I mentioned these carnivorous starfish and he says, "Oh yeah, you must have gotten those from me. I had them in my tank."

 

My reply was, "You jerk."

 

G.

[smarsh97]

My zoa's weren't distressed. They were beautiful, a whole big long rock of beautiful pink zoanthids just about destroyed. I was so thankful when I saw that asterina on there. I went on the hunt, once I removed most of them the zoa's flourished again back to their beautiful state.

 

Sandy