Got some new live rock over the weekend and had a guy show up today. Yellow copopod or shrimp like creature, yellow mostly in color and a little over 1/4" long with a curved back and long antenna. My guess was a massive copopod (I know I'm spelling that wrong) but I haven't ever seen one this large and he has some fairly pronounced "œhands" that have some white detail If anyone can tell me how to post a video i can show you. So far pics haven't shown any detail
Actually it's an Aquilonastra spp. starfish. People have been misidentifiying them for years. A critical difference between the Aquilonastra genus and Asterina genus is the Asterina species cannot reproduce by splitting (fissiparous) like the Aquilonastra species. Here's a monograph on them with pictures of the different species in the genus. From what I've read and seen in my tanks if they are seen on corals they're probably helping the coral get rid of it's old mucus coating which has to be replenished periodicly and I not only consider them beneficial but essential. here's the links:
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