Asterina's are A-Holes, Will Zoa's grow back without a polyp?

I used to have probably 1000 asterinas in my tank. A friend told me that they would eat zoas and I didn't believe it, but kept watching. I noticed that I would occasionally see a star wrapped around the head of a closed polyp. I also thought they were just eating algaes....but upon paying more attention, I noticed that those polyps would usually never open again, and would die. I now take out every one I see. No asterinas survive after being found in my tank. I don't care what color they are.
 
BlueRoofTang said:
Look in this video...you will see a star on top of a polyp. At the start, the polyp was standing strong, closed, and the star was eating it. As time goes along, the polyp is unable to hold itself up and the star moves away. This is what happens to them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BxHvlL6zyY
Click to expand...



Yep, there are actually half a dozen asterina in that video eating tissue on my zoas.
Follow up to the video, afterwards I pulled off all the stars I saw on the zoas, and as I pulled them off, there was a brown powdery cloud of zooxanthellae at the wound site.
I now have a harlequin shrimp employed, and the zoas stay open instead of half-closed all the time. He's a small guy, and there are many many stars. It might take him 6 months to deplete them.
 
BlueRoofTang said:
Look in this video...you will see a star on top of a polyp. At the start, the polyp was standing strong, closed, and the star was eating it. As time goes along, the polyp is unable to hold itself up and the star moves away. This is what happens to them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BxHvlL6zyY
Click to expand...

That's is best proof I seen at what those stars can do. I'm going to get a Harlequin asap before I get some new zoa frags.

BTW I moved my frag to my Asterina free Pico tank at work. It seems recession has stopped but have not seen any growth of the purple mat. Hopefully it comes back.
 
Hoopster81 said:
picked up my striped harlequin (bumblebee) today

he is tiny, hopefully he is up to the task
Click to expand...
Mine came very small too.
He's nearly doubled in size in 3 weeks, despite losing a front claw (maybe territorial dispute with coral banded shrimp pair?) and regrowing it.
Guessing he's always eating. He's not close to getting a handle on the star population yet. But they stay off the corals now and more on the glass.
 
The frag didn't make it and purple mat is all gone. And when I thought my work tank was Asterina free guess what I find not to far from the frag plug? Off to the trash can you go little dude.
 
taricha said:
Mine came very small too.
He's nearly doubled in size in 3 weeks, despite losing a front claw (maybe territorial dispute with coral banded shrimp pair?) and regrowing it.
Guessing he's always eating. He's not close to getting a handle on the star population yet. But they stay off the corals now and more on the glass.
Click to expand...

yeah mine came missing a front claw

I hope he's finding some stars in there, I have tried giving him some mysis, but he always hides
 
Hoopster81 said:
yeah mine came missing a front claw

I hope he's finding some stars in there, I have tried giving him some mysis, but he always hides
Click to expand...

Harliquen's are obligate feeders, they only eat the tube feet of starfish. the only way to suppliment their diet is to buy other starfish to feed them, often choclate chip stars are kept to farm arms from them.

(If anyone can prove me wrong please do, I would love to keep a pair)
 
jayball said:
Harliquen's are obligate feeders, they only eat the tube feet of starfish. the only way to suppliment their diet is to buy other starfish to feed them, often choclate chip stars are kept to farm arms from them.

(If anyone can prove me wrong please do, I would love to keep a pair)
Click to expand...

That's what I've read as well. They ONLY eat starfish so after the Asterinas are gone they will starve unless supplemented with more starfish.
 
I have a bumblebee (striped harlequin), not a proper harlequin.

Per Live Aquaria:

The Bumble Bee Shrimp will feed upon the tube feet of echinoderms, but do not require them for survival. Offer them pieces of frozen meaty foods such as brine or mysis shrimp, cockle, or small pieces of fish. They should be offered these foods daily.
Click to expand...
 
My mistake, I was speaking specifically about the Harlequin Shrimp with the spots on it.
 
saw 1 in my over flow last night, but wasnt dark same color as my sand shifting starfish.
going to get a harlequin shrimp
 
BlueRoofTang said:
Look in this video...you will see a star on top of a polyp. At the start, the polyp was standing strong, closed, and the star was eating it. As time goes along, the polyp is unable to hold itself up and the star moves away. This is what happens to them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BxHvlL6zyY
Click to expand...

Man I wish I had this video about 5 years ago when I was telling people to burn these creature with a flame torch. I had some many zoas get eaten.
 
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