Magic White Starfish...

[WilllisTooL]

So a magic white starfish just appeared in the tank, i saw it hiding behing the water intake for the pump. It is a white color, and doesnt seem to have any real defining charicteristics but i was wondering if there is any chance it is eating the brown algae off the back of the tank? Or if not what are the chances of it survivng? It had to have hitchhiked in there at least 2 weeks ago thats the last time i added anything other than a crab the other day. But i didnt see it on the corals i bought, any ideas?

 

[jwhitlow1031]

must have come in on some rock or coral, could have been in the tank longer and you just didn't knotice it...can you get a pic of it? seeing as how your new to this site, "Posts:4" if you dont know how to get pics on here i can tell you the easiest way...

 

[Paintbug]

asterina starfish. google search for pics. they stay small, there different types most are good algae eaters. i have solid white ones in my tank as well, never had a problem with them. some will attack corals. mainly SPS corals. the chance of not only serviving in your tank but reproducing in your tank are great! i started with one about 7-8 months ago i can now count 10+ and i know i dont see all of them

 

[Konadog]

If it looks like this:

It's an asterina starfish.

 

[WilllisTooL]

Awesome, yeah it looks just like that picture. Sweet, if it eats algea sounds like fun to me! Thanks everyone. : )

 

[BlackOnyx]

You should get one of these guys then awesome looking, great personality an can definately help you out!!! Very aware too as they dont tend to like their shadow and will aknowledge you're there.

Mine went thou a choco chip in a few weeks.

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=749

 

[Dubbin1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6731313#post6731313 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BlackOnyx
You should get one of these guys then awesome looking, great personality an can definately help you out!!! Very aware too as they dont tend to like their shadow and will aknowledge you're there.

Mine went thou a choco chip in a few weeks.

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=749

IMO they should not even sell those and there is no reason why WilllisTooL should get one.

 

[Pandora]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6731605#post6731605 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Dubbin1
IMO they should not even sell those and there is no reason why WilllisTooL should get one.

I second that. These are not shrimp for beginners, and most will not even eat asterinas (which are mostly beneficial anyway). Please don't encourage newbies to get these shrimp--they have a very demanding and expensive diet--usually Linkia specific, though sometimes will eat chocolate chip... but you should not be getting them JUST for that purpose, as they still have needs after this problem resolves (I had a pair for over a year and had to sell them due to time constraints--see my gallery).

 

[WilllisTooL]

I think i will just let the starfish be. I dont want to get rid of it if i dont need to and it doesnt seem to be a problem yet so i will just wait and see. Plus these little starfish are kind of cool.

 

[Paintbug]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6731996#post6731996 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by WilllisTooL
I think i will just let the starfish be. I dont want to get rid of it if i dont need to and it doesnt seem to be a problem yet so i will just wait and see. Plus these little starfish are kind of cool.

thats a good attitude to have!!! and wait until you have a few and happen to see one split. kinda freaky.

 

[WilllisTooL]

Yes that would be cool, though not as much fun as sexual reproduction im guessing. : ) Btw i enjoy your line about not having a girl over to see your crabs! As a reptile and amphbian hobbist as well, i sometimes ask people if they want to see my herps!

 

[Paintbug]

those star fish dont have any sexual reproduction i forgot what its called. but basicly they split, most them time its 2-3 legs become an new start fish.

 

[Pandora]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6732313#post6732313 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Paintbug
those star fish dont have any sexual reproduction i forgot what its called. but basicly they split, most them time its 2-3 legs become an new start fish.

Asexual

LOL, also called vegetative or clonal propagation. The same thing as "fragging" basically.

BTW, all animals have forms of sexual reproduction, can't evolve otherwise. It's just that in starfish, it will never to rarely happen in captivity.

 

[WilllisTooL]

So sad, those poor poor starfish. Never going to get any loving, just arm break... I mean heart break.

 

[Paintbug]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6732612#post6732612 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Pandora
Asexual

LOL, also called vegetative or clonal propagation. The same thing as "fragging" basically.

BTW, all animals have forms of sexual reproduction, can't evolve otherwise. It's just that in starfish, it will never to rarely happen in captivity.

i was thinking it was something like fission or profission or fussion. i cant remember.

 

[Pandora]

Paintbug, you were thinking of binary fission (the opposite of fusion). This is the equivilent of vegetative propagation for unicellular organisms like paramecia & bacteria, when the split happens in approximately a half-and-half sort of way. When it happens less equally, as it can in yeast, it's called budding.

Willis, well maybe to them, "action" is getting to go all out on a wall of algae on a Saturday night. Who am I to judge? :lol:

 

[Paintbug]

thats it!! thats what a few members that are no longer here called it. fission.

well maybe to them, "action" is getting to go all out on a wall of algae on a Saturday night

mine must like their algae on the rocks, i rarely have one on the glass.

 

[WilllisTooL]

[iWillis, well maybe to them, "action" is getting to go all out on a wall of algae on a Saturday night. Who am I to judge? :lol: [/B]

well that may be true, but it just doesnt seem very exciting. But then again, food can be very very good... Either way as long as it happily reproduces any way it wants ill be happy. : ) I hope to catch it in the act though that would be neat to see.