Asterina stars

[fishme]

I think these baby starfishes are harmless, but from what I heard is that they do eat some small corals like zoa. And this sound pretty bad...Are these any fishes/crabs that will eat them.

Thanks!!!

 

[otterpop510]

harlequin shrimps are perfect for these..

 

[650-IS350]

I second that... been reading lately that people are using these guys for control of these guys...

Only draw back is that if you run out of asterna's the only way to supplement that is with chocolate chipstars or something... since harlequins only go after and eat starfish feet...

someone correct me if I'm wrong here..

 

[-=Zepplock=-]

I have Asterina stars and they don't eat my corals.
But there are sooo many species.

Why control something that does no harm?
Did any zoa got bad in your tank?

 

[sfsuphysics]

Here's something Dr Ron said

Yup, it appears to be an asterinid. You can check out some more information about them this article.

Identification to species is impossible as they are poorly scientifically described, and it appears that perhaps several species look, for all intents and purposes, identical. Genetic testing seems to be the only way to discriminate them, and even that is a bit iffy.

There are 3 types (possibly species or possibly just varieties of one species) that show up in aquaria. The most common seems to eat biofilms or algae off of hard substrates, probably about 95% of the ones found do that. The next most common seems to eat soft corals, probably about 3% of the ones seen in aquaria do that. And about 2% seem to eat stony corals.

You can tell what they are eating by seeing what they aggregate on. If they cluster around corals and then if you can see obvious tissue damage to the corals, it is probably best to remove them. And manual removal is the only way that works. If they don't cluster around corals, etc., they are likely harmless, and will be another member of the "eaters of algae" group that you have in your tank.

So 95% of those out there are really harmless, but look at that last paragraph, if you see them constantly always around your corals, then I'd worry, if you see the occasional one near it I wouldn't worry. I have these too in both my soft & sps tanks, the main place I see them is against the glass, so I don't worry about them.

 

[stubbsz]

I've got LOADS of them. I had one eat two zoas one time. I yanked him, tossed him out and that's the last time I saw one on a Zoa. Both of the eaten Zoa regenerated out of the stub. I wouldn't want tons of the Zoa eating variety but, I'd leave them in there.
-Adrian

 

[funman1]

I have tons of them in my zoa nano and they never bother my corals at all

 

[corndogg]

I got two harlequin shrimp to control my asterina stars because although they weren't harming any corals they were on the verge of infestation. They were the "roaches" of my reef tank.

Within a few weeks, I have noticed a drastic reduction in their population. Now, there are only a few on the glass but the starfish still have plenty to last them.

But, now because of the rate they have been eating them I am now concerned that eventually I will run out and have to feed them.