Check out the pretty pictures...

[Pbrown3701]

Now that i have your attention ...

I need a couple of IDs PLUS, some advice. First, see the 2 new frags i picked up yesterday. Anybody have the ID?

Secondly, you will notice the area of tissue necrosis at the bottom of the second frag. After closer inspection, i found this lovely character...

I carefully inspected the frag and this was the only one i found. I also searched last night with a flashlight and didn't find anything. So a couple of questions:

1. how do these little stars reproduce?
2. If if find more, how do you get rid of them?

 

[hawkfish]

I've also had these little starfish. I think the only way to remove them is manually but I don't think they're detrimental. Hopefully, someone can help ID this little guy.

 

[zotzer]

While you were carefully inspecting your frags, why not go ahead and pull the macroalgae off too?

Tracy

 

[AndyB4784]

They are both Acropora.

 

[sick1166]

natural predator harliquin shrimp

 

[AquaReeferMan]

Like stated above both frags are Acropora. I dont know exactly what species they are though. An ID thread in the SPS forum could help you out on further identification. That star is an Asterina. There are different species of them as well. Some are known to much on coral. I used to have 100s of them. Once they ate all of whatever they were eating they moved on to my zoanthids. I ended up getting some Harlequin shrimp to take care of them. I am in no way telling you to buy a Harlequin shrimp. I was just letting you know what I did. Harlequin shrimp only eat starfish. Once they have eaten all of them you will have to start buying them stars to eat every 2 weeks. Some see it as more of a hassle but I wanted them in the first place.

 

[Pbrown3701]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11070394#post11070394 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by zotzer
While you were carefully inspecting your frags, why not go ahead and pull the macroalgae off too?

Tracy

Because then my tang would hate me. He loves it when i drop in stuff like this. All the algae is gone as we speak.

I'm pretty sure the starfish is detrimental as it was eating the acro when I caught it. You can see that something has been eating the tisue on the second one.

I knew that they were both acros, i just didn't know what species. The orange one was listed as "carolinia" or something and the other didn't have a name.

I'm not sure how i feel about getting a Harlequin shrimp. Seems kind of short sighted since i'm not prepared to buy starfish for one every other week. Hopefully, this star was a lone hitchhiker and none more will appear.

Thanks for your help everyone.

 

[Justin James]

Thouse stars produce by spliting in halfs. Some will have five legs, some 6, and some even up to 8. They are known to sometimes pick on sps corals. It's good to keep them in check. Most people have them in their tanks. I know I do.

 

[FL Knifemaker]

I've never seen one anywhere but on my glass. They don't seem to grow or do anything.