Little white starfish

[dc_909]

Are these guys harmful to corals?
They aren't the brittle stars, they are almost always non-symetrical. I have heard some people say they will eat certain corals (zoos). Can anyone confirm this?

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

Asterina Starfish. They have mixed opinions. Some say coral eating differs from species to species. I have personally seen many tanks that have had them without any trouble and other tanks that have them devour anything they crawl on. It's up to you whether you deem them as a pest. Do you see them actually eating anything?

 

[dc_909]

I have seen them among my zoos, but can't confirm if anything is beaing eaten.

 

[Paintbug]

chances are they are just eating algae around the zoos. i have 20-30 of them. i have never seen them harm a coral.

 

[afishyonados]

In my experience they only predate upon corals who have lowered immune systems. I have never seen them eat a healthy coral.

 

[Dawn II]

I keep picking them out of the tank when they are on the glass as they multiply pretty fast, and the verdict is still out on them.

 

[skireef]

I have hundreds of them throughout my system. I have not observed them attacking anything, soft, lps or sps. Actually, I don't quite see what they are eating.

 

[cato]

I have a few that eat some coralline but there's so much of it everywhere I don't care at all.

 

[rich99rich]

I have hundreds of these in my tank. The only think I've seen them eat is coralline, as they leave little marks on my rocks.

 

[dc_909]

Thanks for your opinions

 

[Burgman]

Hi,
I have a healthy Gorgonian Sea Fan(purple type) and they will munch the base but it grows back in a day or two.

Dave