Object Identification Assistance

[FishLuver]

Shown in the attachment is a small 1/2 inch (width) that appears to be of the starfish family. I mostly need to know if it is harmful or not. I started cycling this tank on 9 Feb and added live rock on/about 12 Feb... I am thinking that it hitchhiked in with the Live Rock. Just saw him/her on the tank water return pipe yesterday.

 

Cute little bugger, sorta, just have no idea what it really is....

 

Tom

[Fishie]

It's a kind of starfish...but they split and spread very very easily...almost to the point where u can trow a handful out and not notice even losing them.

 

They don't do harm..but if u don't want hundreds of them...toss it out

I have a lot of them now.

Edited February 27, 2012 by Fishie

[F&Fmgr]

asterina starfish

[wvreef]

I believe they are called asternia starfish (spelling might be wrong) they are harmless and a good addition to they clean up crew.... they will reproduce fast in an well established system.... I have alot in my 45 and no issues with them....

[schenktank]

they love to eat your coralline algea. harlequin shrimp will hunt them down pretty fast if they get out of control in your tank.

[faub63]

I've seen them eating my zoanthids, so I try to get rid of them.

[FishLuver]

Thanks for the info... I believe I will follow the "Why risk it?" theme for now... I do want to have corals one day...

[Jan]

+1. I never belived this until I experienced it with my own zoas this past week. So many people say they're harmless so I'd let them go. I just lost a gorgeous bright red colony of zoanthids to asterina starfish.

 

I've seen them eating my zoanthids, so I try to get rid of them.

[zygote2k]

looks like you already have them. they are one of the many pests that you will get absolutely free when you joined WAMAS.

look for these other "bonus" items:

 

Aiptasia

Majanos

Hair algae

Bryopsis

AEFW

Red bugs

Red Planaria

[Ryan S]

So this isn't another urban legend? Asterina = zoa eaters?

[dbartco]

I have them in my reef tank, and zoas, so not so sure about proclaiming them zooeaters. Maybe some zoas are tastier, maybe some asterinas are like zombies, and once they get a taste for brains, they can't stop. You will hear gaurantees from both sides of this issue. You have to make up your mind I guess. The kids at the schools love the asterinas, so I could never kill them, and I have zooas in there too.

 

[Origami]

So this isn't another urban legend? Asterina = zoa eaters?

Some see this behavior, others don't. There are even some that didn't believe and changed their minds when it began happening to them. There is speculation that maybe only certain species of Asterina will behave this way. Who knows? If you have just a few, you can remove them to be safe if you'd like.

 

Here's an early article on them from GARF that was published online in 2001:

http://www.garf.org/Star/starfish.html

[Jan]

I never saw these asterinas actually eat my zoanthids. I'd find them on the zoas, take them off and the zoas would not open. Then a polyp would disappear in a day or two. The interesting thing about it is that I'd find an asterina on this colony at least 2 times a day. Now that the colony is gone the asterinas do not go near the plug they were on. Since I don't have any other zoas in there I can't say they are zoa "eating" starfish. Maybe they secrete something that dissolves the zoas. I've had them in all my tanks and never experinced this before.

 

I also have a purple starfish with 6 legs that I purchased from liveaquaria that also secrets a substance that kills clams. My point is that even though they look harmless you really need to do the research and decide if they're worth the possible risk.

 

 

+1. I never belived this until I experienced it with my own zoas this past week. So many people say they're harmless so I'd let them go. I just lost a gorgeous bright red colony of zoanthids to asterina starfish.

 

 

Edited February 28, 2012 by Jan