Asterina. Safe or not... was he just hugging my zoo

stubbsz

stubbsz

New member
I've read a lot of comments about these being Reef Safe. We've all seen them but how safe are they and are there different types. I just found one hugging a Zoo and that's the second zoo hugger I've seen. Also, I found one in my Pocilliapora one time and removed it. Any subtleties of id I don't know about that differentiates a safe tiny star from a murderous little bugger that needs squishing.

I should say this one looked very symmetrical not the usual mutated ones with partial legs.

-Adrian
 
i have a bunch of asterina's with the mutated/partial legs.. they especially come out at night.. i see them at times on my zoas, but never seemed to do anything negative from what i've seen.

i remember somethere on the zoa forum that they had something about the zoa pox, that the asterinas seem to go up and potentially eat off the pox.. dunno though. but my asterinas are harmless from what i've seen, though someone with more info and pics of different varieties (harmless and dangerous) would be helpful.

i did get a harlequin shrimp last summer since i heard that they could feed exclusively off asterinas.. i haven't fed mine in 9 months and its getting bigger and comes out all the time (even the daytime) so its eating them.
 
Wow. That is cool. I don't think my serpent stars would thank me for getting a harlequin though :)

The zoo he was on looks pretty upset right now :( looks like the tops be eaten right off.
 
Maybe he was just giving it a kiss. J/K I have 3 astrea's in my 30 with 6 different soft corals and they have never bothered anything but the algae. Good luck though.
 
Now I'm not basing this off any actual proof it's more of a hypothetical....

Asterinas tend to eat algae, they do like any starfish does and pushes their stomach out to absorb it, if they are on corals that seem to die, maybe they are just indiscriminately eatting algae (and whatever else under it, like coral flesh)

Again, not based upon proof :)
 
hmm.. never thought of that, but could be true.. anyone else have asterinas that want to chime in? i'm sure they are pretty common hitchhikers?..
 
When they get hungry enough they will eat corals. There are basically two main types (at least in our interest). The smaller grey ones (less agressive) and the slightly larger ones that get an assortment of colors to their sufaces. Some have blue, some red, and some a combo. Those ones tend to go after zoos and other corals more often. I have harlequins to keep the population of them down in two of my tanks. Usually tanks have problems with them when you overfeed. That causes algae to grow and then the stars flourish. When you try to keep the nutrients down you get a bunch of hungry stars.
 
http://www.garf.org/STAR/starfish.html

I think the blanket statement of Asterina are safe, may not be correct. There are multiple species of Asterina and I am not qualified to identify them. There are also other stars that look like Asterina, but are of another genus completly. Identification is the key here, and unfortunatly, can be very difficult.

I think the only good rule of thumb is, if they are all over your glass eating algea, they are most likely a safe species that targets algea. If they are primarily hiding on a coral and the coral is showing signs of distress, they might be bad. In other words, threat them like a bristleworm/fireworm.. inocent until proven guilty. They are most likely fine, but keep your eye on them.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9314705#post9314705 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Qwiv
http://www.garf.org/STAR/starfish.html

I think the blanket statement of Asterina are safe, may not be correct. There are multiple species of Asterina and I am not qualified to identify them. There are also other stars that look like Asterina, but are of another genus completly. Identification is the key here, and unfortunatly, can be very difficult.

I think the only good rule of thumb is, if they are all over your glass eating algea, they are most likely a safe species that targets algea. If they are primarily hiding on a coral and the coral is showing signs of distress, they might be bad. In other words, threat them like a bristleworm/fireworm.. inocent until proven guilty. They are most likely fine, but keep your eye on them.
Click to expand...

This has been the approach I'm taking. The offending star was a large one, as these little guys go, and had an redish/orangish tint. Unfortunately he dropped as I removed him and I lost him in the rock.... but, I'm keeping my eyes open now.

-Adrian
 
I have probably hundreds of them in my nano tank. I find them to be unsightly, but they haven't eaten any corals yet. I have always been suspicious of them, because I once heard they were "predatory" but so far (7 years) no problems.
 
From my experience, I generally haven't had any problems with Asterinas. I have on occasion found them eating on a polyp. Those I would toss immediately. The polyp survived afterwards. I have also watched them eat at a polyp and the polyp not survive. Whether it killed it or it was already dying is unknown. If you want to be safe, then you wouldn't want them in there at all. I leave them unless I notice them eating corals. They're slow movers so they're easily picked out of the tank if needed.
 
Holy hand-grenade. I found him again. Ate the top of a second Zoo from the same bunch. Dead Star.
-Adrian
 
I've had three large colonies wiped out by these awful little monsters. No they are not safe. If you have seen them on your zoas that is a bad sign.
 
As I said earlier they are all predatory. It's just that the more colorful ones are worse. Get any of them hungry and they will start to eat corals.
 
I have hundreds of them in my nano. only once have I ever seen one eat a zoo. I actually think it was eating the algae around it and the zoo went right along with it. Either way I took him out immediately.

My biggest complaint is that these guys munch on the corraline.
 
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