Starfish like critter in Acro’s

[Turd Ferguson]

a couple months go I removed what seemed to be a similar to a starfish in shapes, black body, but with tentacles, similar to a Bristle worm. fast forward a couple months they’re still there and seem to have multiplied.they are apparent and Come out hiding when there is food in the water column…be it by feed reef roids or stirring up the sandbed.

anyone have a name for these guy, friend or foe? Pic’s attached. You can see them In two different colonies. 24/7 I see them in the first colony, not so much in the acro…I believe they generally hid in the rocks.

thanks

 

[N-A-S-O]

Looks like brittle stars. They are friendly.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

Can someone tell me what may eat these critters? I ask because they seem to irritate the coral.

For example, the Brittle Starts inhabit the inside of the corals branches is causing polyp loss? I have the coral on the side of the tank on a frag rack which is very bushy, sans Brittle Stars.

Thanks.

 

[o2manyfish]

The brittle stars will keep the coral from polyping up, but they shouldnt cause any damage. In fact they keep detritus from settling in the bottom of colonies.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

You would think so although it's not the case. They seem to be stripping the polyps of the lower portion (bone white), and in some instances only the tips have extended polyps. I imagine it's the constant friction of the BS tentacles causing the problem...

I don't have just a small handful of BS in this specific area of the tank, more an infestation.

The don't touch the acro's colonies (much), mostly the bushy green pocillopora. I suspect the coral provides a great hiding spot from predators. I wonder if the polyp are a bit more fragile than some of the other SPS.

Anyway, I'll dip and move to a more high flow area and see what happens... they're currently in semi low flow so they can't get blown off the coral... at least not easily.