Starfish?

[Jguido1987]

I found two new creatures in my tank today. The first was in the sump part. I’m pretty sure it’s a Bristol worm, and most of you all say they are harmless. My second I noticed two min ago. It looks like a six armed starfish. Very small only about the size of a pencil erasers around. My concern is for my maxima clam. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Lovemyreef2015]

Bristle worm. In the last two pictures are asterina starfish. I've seen first hand asterinas eating zoas and palys. It's hard to tell which ones are good and bad. Your clam should be safe though.

 

[Jguido1987]

So best to take it out. So out it will go.

 

[Lovemyreef2015]

So best to take it out. So out it will go.

We take them out now. It's better to do it when you don't have many. We have hundreds now and it's a battle every day with them.

 

[Jguido1987]

Yea it looked cool for a second and then I started thinking. “Hmm, this may not be that cool”

 

[Tahoe61]

Of note number of legs is not an indicator of specific type of Asterina, they can have one leg.

 

[Maritimer]

True dat - Asterinas get about as big as your pinky-nail, then rip themselves in half. Each half grows new arms, becoming a new star over time. Some say it's the pigmented ones that feast on zoanthids - but any of 'em can overpopulate.

~Bruce

 

[ReefJake123]

Take it out they eat coralline and polyps they are nasty buggers

 

[Sea MunnKey]

They eat zoas & Palys. Bad thing to have ...

 

[Garbonzo]

I let them go in a few of our tanks a few years ago just to experiment, and within a year I was picking out 20-30 a day for months to get them under control.

 

[Oldsalt01]

I had a bunch of Asterina come in on new rock in August and all they seemed to do was munch on green algae and some coralline. Then, last week I discovered one wrapped around the head of one of my zoa polyps, happily consuming tentacles. Let's just say there are no more in my tank (that I know of). And I intend to keep it that way. :mad: