Purple Flatworms on Orange Linkia StarFish

[younglcy]

Has anyone ever had this problem. My otherwise very active, healthy orange linkia starfish is covered in small purple spots about 1mm across (20-30 of them). It's had these spots for 3-4 months, but today I saw one of the spots move quickly down one of the starfish's arms and disaapear beneath it's body. I assume these are some kind of flatworm or gastropod. Should I be worried about these?

I don't currently have any acropora, but I do have an indigo digitata that's died back around the base. All my other LPS and softies look fine. Thanks for any input.

 

[joeisgod47]

Did it end up killing your starfish or corals? I just saw this at a local fish store they said it was purple algae ... I knew better

 

[Ron Reefman]

Did it end up killing your starfish or corals? I just saw this at a local fish store they said it was purple algae ... I knew better

younglcy hasn't done a post here since Sept of 2014. It's possible they are still around, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

 

[Dkuhlmann]

And to top that off Ron it's an 8 year old thread. My guess is that the starfish didn't make it. They're hard enough to keep without parasites.

 

[younglcy]

Unfortunately the starfish didn't make it and I've never tried another one. I eventually solved my flatwork infestation with a couple of wrasses. My tank's doing well otherwise, almost ten years old now.