[tewmom]

So this morning we found this creature on the front glass of the tank. No clue as to what it is or how it got there. It is very small perhaps 4cm in size.

Can someone identify this mystery creature?

Thanks
Dianne

 

[tewmom]

Whatever it is, it is on the move.

 

[ExploziveAF]

astrea starfish harmless

 

[Reeftanker3295]

Asterina star, harmless. Most people have them.

 

[ExploziveAF]

i love mine they clean crap, well i think they do

 

[tewmom]

Where did they come from, I think I found another one? We haven't added anything to the tank in over a month. I suppose they could have always been here and I just never saw it before.

Thanks for identifying the little critter.

 

[ExploziveAF]

you will find several, i have no idea where they come from just know they are there dont sweat it 2 much just know they happen in all established reef tanks, but if you have ALOT means you need 2 do some work on your tank, algie or water quality

 

[Hop]

Where did they come from, I think I found another one? We haven't added anything to the tank in over a month. I suppose they could have always been here and I just never saw it before.

Thanks for identifying the little critter.

I saw one in my tank the first week I set it up in 2006... Didn't see any again until earlier this year and now I have hundreds. They are just really good hiders. So where they came from is likely hard to say. Just watch them as a few species have a tendency to eat some corals...

 

[Reeftanker3295]

They reproduce by splitting, thats why they almost always have arms missing and thats how they reproduce so fast. It's rare to have the type that eats coral. If they are climbing on your glass then theres a good chance they are just algae cleaners.

 

[tewmom]

Wow, this is pretty cool then. Never know what you will find in your tank, the other day I found a baby snail on the glass. This is such a fun hobby.

 

[zach_24_90]

yes it is haha and i have some also.. harmless.. cool to see them split

 

[saltlifefan4278]

Send me some I'm tired of buying chocolate chip stars to feed my harlequin shrimp.. He's killed and ate almost everyone inn my tank

 

[lukegotts]

Will harlequin shrimp eat those little starfish? Cause I too am tierd of buying the chocolate chip stars for mine. You must at mit it is fun to watch them tear into that starfish and drag it around the tank. lol

 

[Geoff]

in general they are harmless, but there are several species that will eat various corals. they seem to be species specific. as in if it eats corals it eat a certain kind of coral. it is a good thing you found it on the glass. this means that either it is an film algae eating Asterine or it is a coral eating one that can not find it host food source. if this is the case it will just starve on its own. my guess is that it is the algae film eating one.

Will harlequin shrimp eat those little starfish? Cause I too am tierd of buying the chocolate chip stars for mine. You must at mit it is fun to watch them tear into that starfish and drag it around the tank. lol

they can, but it takes a whole lot of them to feed the shrimp. if the tank is large enough and the algae is growing well enough then yes you can use Asterina's for food.

G~

 

[Coreyb]

+1 on the I.D.

 

[salty198]

mine love to eat Coralline Algea.. little spots of white in my purple