Help ID this please

[Seadoc]

Found this little fella on the back wall of my DT. No idea how it came from but most have been a tiny tiny starfish in one frag that was missed by the dip. It is now around 3/4". Any idea if good or bad? Thanks.

 

[redfishbluefish]

Asterina Starfish. Mixed feelings about them. Some munch on corals, others don't. What was told to me years ago was the white to light colored ones are reef safe. The dark ones are coral eaters. No idea if that is true, but I had the white ones and never had a problem. I will tell you, they multiply like crazy. Their primary way of doing this is just split in half.

I'm going to have #reefsquad and @KJ verify, because telling me it's 3/4 of an inch, that would be a big asterina.

 

[Seadoc]

Asterina Starfish. Mixed feelings about them. Some munch on corals, others don't. What was told to me years ago was the white to light colored ones are reef safe. The dark ones are coral eaters. No idea if that is true, but I had the white ones and never had a problem. I will tell you, they multiply like crazy. Their primary way of doing this is just split in half.

I'm going to have #reefsquad and @KJ verify, because telling me it's 3/4 of an inch, that would be a big asterina.

So far is the only one I have seen. It is way to big to have initially missed it, so I am assuming it came as a tiny one in a coral frag. Do they add any benefits? Should I keep it or not?

 

[nereefpat]

It is now around 3/4". Any idea if good or bad? Thanks.

It does appear to be Asterina. I've never seen one that big, or that color.

Do they add any benefits? Should I keep it or not?

The are a part of a normal reef's algae maintenance, scavenging, and clean up crew. Some folks report certain ones to eat corals. I have not experienced that. Keeping it depends on your personal philosophical ideas about reef keeping.

 

[Seadoc]

It does appear to be Asterina. I've never seen one that big, or that color.



The are a part of a normal reef's algae maintenance, scavenging, and clean up crew. Some folks report certain ones to eat corals. I have not experienced that. Keeping it depends on your personal philosophical ideas about reef keeping.

Thanks! I am a firm believer in “the more the merrier” approach, unless of course a bully comes to wreck havoc. It seems that there are ways to control them if they become a problem (Harlequin shrimp?), so back in it goes.... fingers crossed.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I do not sllow these in any of my tanks as they can take down a zia colony un no time and I say this from experience

 

[Seadoc]

I do not sllow these in any of my tanks as they can take down a zia colony un no time and I say this from experience

Good to know. No zonas in mine and I don’t plan to add them

 

[KJ]

Asterina Starfish. Mixed feelings about them. Some munch on corals, others don't. What was told to me years ago was the white to light colored ones are reef safe. The dark ones are coral eaters. No idea if that is true, but I had the white ones and never had a problem. I will tell you, they multiply like crazy. Their primary way of doing this is just split in half.

I'm going to have #reefsquad and @KJ verify, because telling me it's 3/4 of an inch, that would be a big asterina.

Asterina starfish and the colored one are not reef safe.