Starfish eating palys

[All Delight]

I got these small white starfish about the size of pea, and I've seen them on the head of the palys. At first I ignored it, 2 days ago, then today I noticed that the polyp is dead.


Anyone have experience with this problem.

 

[jessp]

a lot of people have different experiences w/ asternia starfish, i have had no problems w/ them eating zoas or palys, and i have a 65 gal dedicated zoa tank. others eat sps poyps and others like in your case do eat palys. there are dozens of types of asternia and they eat different things. if i remember correctly the darker shaded ones are the more dangerous

 

[650-IS350]

http://www.zoaid.com/index.php?module=Gallery2&g2_itemId=384

 

[jeffhand]

I have a bunch and they dont mess with anything,so far.

 

[aquarius77]

I have peeled several of these stars off of my zoas over the last year. I find them with a death grip right on the head of the zoa. There is no doubts that some of them will munch.

 

[NanoReefWanabe]

you wanna talk death grip on the polyps...try pulling a zoa eating spider off of the polyps...those things have a wicked grip..

anytime i see a Asternia star in my tank i peel them off and stick them in the fuge...mine have so far only seemed to eat algae though..

 

[All Delight]

It does look like the asternia star. I've had these things attaching some of my micromussa too.

How do I get rid of them? If there a fish or shrimp that eats them?

Thanks for the help everyone!

 

[Xirxes23]

harlequinn shrimp will MOX them down... need to feed sea stars after tho