ID Starfish ????

YiNYaNg · 08-25-2007, 03:11 AM

I found two in my tank and they are small about 1/2" and light sky blue with short wide legs. I have no sps or lps in that tank. I think they are asterias starfish but are these ones good or bad starfish?

charlesr1958 · 08-25-2007, 03:30 AM

Without photos showing its identification features, I could not tell you what you have. But... I may have what you are looking for within the relevant section of my hitch hiker pages though. Hope it is of use to you.

A Hitch Hikers Guide to the Reefs

Chuck

Loverotties · 08-25-2007, 08:14 AM

Geoff · 08-25-2007, 07:37 PM

if they have unequal length arms then they are prolly Asterina starfish. if you do not have any SPS in the tank then do not worry about them. if they are predatory for SPS they will quickly die off without food. if they survive for several months without SPS in the tank then they are the harmless algae eating species.

G~

YiNYaNg · 10-02-2007, 01:34 PM

Here's a picture of one but sometimes its legs is unequal from dropping legs to reproduce. There is about 6 I spotted now.

YiNYaNg · 10-02-2007, 01:36 PM

Can they just one day have a taste for sps or softies? I saw one munched a little bit of my xenia and then moved away. Might of didn't like the taste of softies and went back to eating algae.

DrFish33 · 10-02-2007, 03:58 PM

just adding on so i can look back on the conversation later...nothing of any value to say

YiNYaNg · 10-02-2007, 07:42 PM

anyone?

jenajet · 10-02-2007, 07:44 PM

yeah its a ASTERINA STAR. http://www.xtalworld.com/Aquarium/hitchfaq.htm

jenajet · 10-02-2007, 07:45 PM

there are some that munch on coral but not sure how to tell. others will chime in I'm sure. I have tons of them and havn't seen them eating anything.

ChrisPrusha · 10-02-2007, 08:18 PM

I do not believe that algae-eating asterinas have the potential to turn into SPS-eating ones.