What The Heck Is This (pics)

[Octoberfest]

I have no idea what this is. It looks almost like a baby sea star but I have no idea how that would have happened. I can't count it to see if it has five legs/arms or not, but it has what look like at least four. I can't get a better picture than this right now without moving the rock and I don't want to do that at this time. I found another one of these, both on the same side of the tank. Any idea what it is? I'm not saying it's an animal or a fungis or what, just sayin what it looks like and I haven't seen it move, just saw it about 20 minutes ago. It's white with some darker grayish bands going across the "arms" and when you get really close it you can see uniformed bumps all along the surface.

 

[unsane]

looks like a baby sandsifter

 

[bertoni]

Maybe an Asterina starfish? Google should turn up a lot of photos.

 

[Octoberfest]

how would that get into my tank, and two of them at least for that matter? Everything I have was from an established tank and I haven't added anything else, I would think that the lady who sold me everything would have known. Not that I'm complaining....I don't think, just curious.

So if it's a sandsifter is this a good thing?

 

[Octoberfest]

after googling, the sand sifter is the exact color and band patern that I'm looking at. Any chance they'll survive?

 

[crzy4reefs]

they aren't the same thing, they are like mini stars or something, they just show up, i have lots of them in my tank.

 

[dugg]

I would say these are asterina.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/asterinafaqs.htm
Not a good hitchhiker. They sometimes will feed on corals, and multiply rapidly by breaking in two.

 

[Ti]

asterina

 

[Octoberfest]

great. so how do I get rid of them?

 

[Paintbug]

Asterina starfish. no need to get rid of them. most of them are completely harmless. and the ones that have been reported to attack corals, have only been reported to attack SPS corals.
look here at the bottom http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-06/ac/feature/index.php
and here about 3/4 down
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-12/rs/index.php

oh and the little thing sticking out from the rocks with 2 little tenticles, right about the Asterina close to the top. thats a Spionid worm.

 

[Octoberfest]

o.k., well the only two corals I have are a toadstool and a couple mushrooms, are they in danger?

So are the Spionid worms good or bad, I have hundreds of them so I'm hoping they are o.k.

 

[NeilPearson]

You're fine those corals aren't in danger even if this happened to be a SPS eating species (which is unlikely)

 

[Paintbug]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6603375#post6603375 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by foresteronw

So are the Spionid worms good or bad, I have hundreds of them so I'm hoping they are o.k.

harmless filter feeders!! good sign of life.

 

[Andrew]

Asterina starfish just any on my nerves because once you get one, you have a dozen more a week later.

 

[Octoberfest]

will it level out, or will it just keep going and going until I'm overrun with them? Will anything eat them, like my coral banded shrimp or blue sea star?

 

[jaypainter24]

Harlequin Shrimp will take care of the Asterina starfish

 

[bertoni]

The harlequin shrimp eat only live starfish, so they might start to starve to death over time.

If the Asterina are growing and spreading, that means there's a good algal food source for them. Any approach that reduces algal growth will limit the starfish population.

 

[Pandora]

Baby stars (asterinas) are good for the tank, why do people get so freaked out about every beneficial hitchhiker? DEFINITELY don't run out and get a harlequin. First off, they don't eat asterinas, WAY too tiny; secondly, they have other requirements.

You do realize that people sell these as part of the cleanup packages for like a dozen for $5? They do nothing except help with algae and reproduce (every time they break off a little, it forms two); I wish I had more in my tank.

 

[bertoni]

Actually, people have reported training harlequin shrimp to eat Asterina stars, although I don't know how well they'd survive long-term.

I agree that most of the type the Asterina stars are harmless and often beneficial.

 

[Pandora]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6604539#post6604539 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bertoni
Actually, people have reported training harlequin shrimp to eat Asterina stars, although I don't know how well they'd survive long-term.

Hadn't heard that one, I just have to kinda doubt the "training" part, lol. These stars are tiny, and I used to have a pair of harlequins (see my gallery). They are really picky eaters, and at times will only eat certain kinds of Linckia, nevermind stars as small as these. I actually had a huge number of asterinas in my harlequin tank, and they never touched them; maybe someone had really tiny harlequins?