Starfish

[Dutch_Mill]

Got this starfish a couple of months ago as a hitchhiker the size of an asterina. Now it grew much larger and theres a second one in my tank (split? New hitchhiker?)

Actively hunts and eats snails, dove and collonistas only so far.

Any ID or experience with these guys? Do I need to unleash my Harlequin on him or safe to keep around?

Resides in a 100% Acropora tank.

 

[Shibaken3]

I'm pretty sure spikey starfishes are bad and eats corals.

 

[Dutch_Mill]

I'm pretty sure spikey starfishes are bad and eats corals.

I am leaning towards a Blue Spiny Starfish variant (as iirc this specimen came from a Indo transship instead of the BSS range).

Their food would be their kin and molluscs.

I have kept it around to keep collonista/dove/asterina numbers down as thats all I have seen it eat so far. Been with my Acroporas for months never even walked near one.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

It's definitely not an Aquilonastra ("Asterina") starfish.

It sounds like it's content to eat your snails, so I wouldn't expect any coral eating until the number of snails drops too low.

Any chance of pics of the top of the star under white light?

Also, chances of pics of the snails it's eating under white light as well? We don't always have good info on starfish diets, so it could be good to see exactly what this one prefers to eat in your tank.