Help - Good or Bad Starfish?

[falconut]

I have recently found a couple of these little guys in my tank:

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=157000

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=157001

As you can see they are small, that is a tube of super glue next to the one. Not the greatest photos, but hopefully it's good enough.

My tank is a little over a year old and I only recently noticed them. They are hard to notice, since they blend into the coraline covered rock.

Please can anybody tell me if they are Good or Bad. I don't want to leave them if they'll eat my corals. If they're safe then they can stay.

Thanks.

 

[kmk2307]

That is Asterina. It is probably a polyphyletic genus (so not all of the species of starfish placed in that genus are actually closely related). Some eat corals but most are harmless grazers. I have them in my tanks and they don't seem to bother anyone. Try placing them on leather corals and sps corals and see if they stay and start to feed or if they crawl away.

Kevin

 

[The steven liu]

They are normally harmless but can be naughty occasionally. I have had my T. Maxima under attach from these stars. I did a fresh water dip and tons of these fellows fell off the clam, then the clam was happy after that.