Omg I Got A Starfish

[Paul_MTS]

got home from work today and peared into my tank only to see a tiny litle starfish moving over my liverock. It's only the size of a penny. It must of come in on my Liverock and 3 months on it's decided to show itself!

any ID and info?

 

[houndour]

wow that is so cute.

 

[steelhealr]

Well...I can tell you what it is not...does not appear to be a brittle star. It's kind of early from it's size, but, as it grows larger, see if you can ID it...check fromia sp. iconaster, linckia to name a few. SH

 

[Paul_MTS]

i doubt i'll see it again for another few months now, I just saw it scuffal aorund the front of the rock then went to hide again.

how quickly do they grow?

 

[Navarre]

If its what i think it is then it wont grow any larger.

Does it have more than 5 legs and are these legs unequal?

If so then its called an Asterina Anomala

DO a google search for this starfish to see if it matches your one. If so then i would remove ASAP at its a coral eater (supposedly)

 

[Paul_MTS]

as far as i remember and see from the pics it was your general starfish shape with 5 equal legs.

I suppose if it is a Asterina Anomala it might explain why 2 of my corals have closed up now for 4 days and now doing so well.

 

[Navarre]

Ok well dont panic. I said "supposedly"£ because i have some in my system. I have never yet witnessed them eating corals. Doesnt mean they havent of course and i have also lost corals in the past so they could be candidates.

Just watch it closely and see how it developes.

 

[Paul_MTS]

right oh,

although thats the first I'ved seen of it and unless it came in on a coral it must of been there for 3 months.

so hopefully it will make another apperance soon for some better pictures. with only a few corals in the tank so far i rekaon just the 1 could make a made effect, they even mention there bad habits in "Natural Reef Aquaruims" JH Tullock.

 

[steelhealr]

Navarre..I googled it...looks like a pretty convincing ID. Good work. SH

 

[Paul_MTS]

no more signs of the starfish but the corals are starting to come out again today.

 

[Chac]

IMO Defo Asterina - I have had a few in my tanks, there are different types most that are no probs, try to keep an eye on it, if it hangs about any of your corals I would get rid of it, as certain species of Asterina will munch corals

 

[bunjiweb]

Found one of these in my tank today about to get sucked into the filter box. Have pulled him out because if he is a coral eater that would explain why some of my button polyps near where i found him havent opened up for about the last week or so.

Ben