Is this a baby starfish?

[Andrew Schubert]

I removed some rocks from my tank a d stirred up the sand bed real good tonight and found this on my glass. Looks like a small starfish???

 

[Why-Me]

Looks like an asterina

 

[Mastiffsrule]

+1

Not sure what’s up with th crazy legs. May be getting ready to split

 

[Scotty Buttons]

+1 it's a asterina. Some species eat corals some are harmless.

 

[Why-Me]

I had 2 as hitchhikers on my corals when I got home

 

[Mastiffsrule]

 

[Andrew Schubert]

So what's the vote...should I leave him or remove him?

 

[Mastiffsrule]

Dependimg on your coral in the tank and type of star no 100% answer. I will say if you see 1, you have lots more. Removing them will take patience. I would not worry at this point personally.

 

[Andrew Schubert]

Dependimg on your coral in the tank and type of star no 100% answer. I will say if you see 1, you have lots more. Removing them will take patience. I would not worry at this point personally.

Cool... Guess I'll just let them be for now ..thanks

 

[cracker]

Iv'e not had the speckled ones shown in a pic above. However the white one's Andrew shows, Never had any probs with them .

 

[HollidayReefer]

I removed some rocks from my tank a d stirred up the sand bed real good tonight and found this on my glass. Looks like a small starfish???

I would remove it some species are harmless some can munch on your corals . Better safe than sorry.

 

[samnaz]

I’ve never had an issue with my asterinas, they look similar to yours, so my vote is leave em.

 

[Txag96]

I never see more than 2-3 out at a time, but I pluck at least 1-2 a day out of my tank. At some point I will beat them right?

 

[Oshengems]

More critters to look at if you saw one I’m sure there’s another I think the funny leg part is a hint that one split already... every so often when my hand is in the tank I remove the visible ones, my exquisite wrasse and my old Multibar Angel used to pick on them

 

[vetteguy53081]

+1 on Asterina. While known to eat algae, they can also eat zoas and disturb acros
They reproduce like mice and by simply breaking off a leg, it reproduces into a new star and then that star breaks a leg and so forth.

 

[Schechter]

It's an split asterina growing. I have many of them, helps cleaning the glass algae at night. Never harmed any corals

 

[Phil D.]

Guideline I read many moons ago is that if they are on the glass, back panel or rock, they are algae eaters and ok. If you spot them on any corals, get rid of them as they are coral eaters.

 

[DSC reef]

I'd remove them. IMO those who haven't had an issue and let's them grow could eventually be faced with an issue when the population explodes and you find out you have some that love the taste of coral. We used to be in the "leave them be" camp until expensive polyps were being mowed down and by that time we had to introduce a harlequin to help with the problem. To many species to identify in which are safe or not and the good ones don't do much as far as clean up crew so is it worth the risk??