Star Hitch Hiker

[hamdogg08]

I just got my first live rock a week ago, and found a crab right away. Last night, I saw some kind of slug, and this morning there was a little sea star! It's not a serpent or brittle star. This is one of the more bulky stars. I know that the brittles and serpents eat detritus, and algae. What about the fatter ones? Also, there are these little bug looking critters swimming around on the glass and substrate. The look almost like tiny beetles, and they're about a millimeter long. Are these bad?

 

[Echidna09]

The star could be one that eats coral. They are small, tan colored, and a little on the bulkier side. The bugs are amphipods/copepods and they are good for your tank.

 

[hamdogg08]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10311578#post10311578 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Echidna09
The star could be one that eats coral. They are small, tan colored, and a little on the bulkier side. The bugs are amphipods/copepods and they are good for your tank.

That's a bummer. He's in my FOWLR right now, and I was pretty excited to have a starfish as a hitch hiker. Is there anywhere that lists common hitch hikers so I can I.D. the little guy, and future ones as well?

 

[Springmo]

Google Asterina starfish. Most of them are harmless detritus eaters.

 

[graveyardworm]

Its fairly uncommon to get an asterina which is a coral eater. The majority which come in on LR are harmless grazers which will reproduce and eat algae.

 

[hamdogg08]

Can a star reproduce asexually?