small white starfish critters??

aquablizz · Jul 13, 2016

recently I have notice maybe a dozen tiny critters that look like starfish... They are flat, approx. 1/2 in diameter and white/tan in color...

Can anyone tell me what they are or if they might become a problem...

They have 6 appendages or legs.

Thanks in advance

Blizz

Lionfish Lair · Jul 13, 2016

They are probably Asterina.

Oldsalt01 · Jul 15, 2016

Agree with Lionfish. They hitchhike in on lotsa things; coral, LR, shells. I'vr read various opinions about them from "totally benign" to "They'll eat your corals!!!". I've had several in my tank for about a year. They're grey-ish white and don't seem to bother my zoas. In fact I watched a rather large one (1/2") crawl across my Dragons Eyes and never even pause. I have read the colored ones (orange, red) are notorious for attacking corals, but the grey ones seem to be algae grazers. Keep an eye on them. They propagate by division and can become a bit of a nuisance. Mostly I just look at them as more bio-diversity in my tank. JMHO.