I.D Please

[MarineDan]

I purchased a few Zoas today and have just noticed these things walking around my tank.. Maybe a silly question but what are they?

Thanks all

 

[Duke4Life]

Looks like asteria stars.

 

[Tautog]

Mutated sea stars. Add 1 Harlequin Shrimp for sea star removal

 

[MarineDan]

Mutated sea stars. Add 1 Harlequin Shrimp for sea star removal

Are the harmful then?

 

[twilliard]

They are excellent at keeping glass clean at night
Now particular species are harmful to coral but they are not common to find

 

[Lionfish Lair]

I pull them off when you see them in an easily accessible place. I don't care for them putting white dots all over my coralline.

 

[MarineDan]

So keeping them wouldn't affect my fish or tank in anyway? They were obviously attached to the rock that the zoas came on

 

[cloak]

I'd remove remove them as well. There's just too many horror stories regarding these stars to let them roam freely in your tank IMO. Here's a few links that might help.

http://reefkeeping.com/joomla/index.php/current-issue/article/45-reefkeeping-101-

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

http://www.withinthesea.com/reef-aquarium/pests/asterina-anomala/

 

[Mike_J]

Be cautious. While most are benign and beneficial to the reef tank, some varieties of asterina stars will chomp on polyps and zoas.