Need a Id on this Hitch Hiker

[Frag Freaks]

I just found this on my tank glass tonight. It looks like a starfish and looks like it has 6 legs. I cant see what he looks like on the other side but his belly side is white. 1/4 of an inch maybe less. I want to see if anyone knows what this is and if it is good or bad?

I tried to take a few pics but they came out a little blurry:

 

[fanaglethebagle]

Just a little star (name starts with an A)
Some species are said to nibble on sps bases, but if they get too out of hand you can get a harlequin shrimp

usually harmless

 

[Chris L]

it is a harmless starfish i believe it is astrina or something like that

 

[Frag Freaks]

ok i dont want it to bother any of my corals.

 

[Chris L]

you should be fine just keep an eye on them

 

[Frag Freaks]

i found the name for it Asterina. Thanks alot. I will keep an eye on it though. I dont have any SPS yet but i will be getting some.

 

[JohnK]

I've read that there a few types of astrina stars. Supposedly there is at least one kind that can be predetory, but I've never had a problem. Most people have them in their tanks, just keep an eye out for any suspicious behavior/possible coral munching. It's most likely not a problem, just another interseting critter.

 

[GinaD]

I heard from several people that the little grey-with-white-edges ones are harmless, but the more colorful ones (tan or orange-ish with speckles of red) are carnivorous and will go after the corals. I've always had the little grey/white ones and never had problems, but I don't consider myself very experienced with corals. I'm new at it.

 

[Frag Freaks]

yeah mine doesnt have any color to it.

 

[JohnK]

The vast majority seem to be harmless, just keep an eye out. You should be fine.

 

[this is me]

These are the 6 legged bastards that I tried to siphon out of the tank everytime I do a water change. There just too much of them in my tank.

 

[Gina McReeferson]

I think we have several in our tank, we occasionally see a couple on our aquarium glass. There is a bunch of SPS in our tank and no problems yet. I think they are the same thing but it is hard/impossible to say. I tried to take some pictures and they came out exactly the same (damn point and shoots).
-Dave

 

[sw300galma]

get a harlequin shrimp, they ONLY feed on starfish..

 

[GinaD]

"This is me", that doesn't look like a grey/white one. That definately looks like the suspicious kind to me.

 

[this is me]

get a harlequin shrimp, they ONLY feed on starfish..

I though about this but what happen when the stars are gone? I dont want to spend 8 dollars for its meal.

 

[sw300galma]

Start a BRS Shrimp to pass around...like the Sea hare that is being passed around..for people with those pesky stars...

Actually the i saw on a Discovery channel that the shrimp will actually not let the stars totally die off...They will eat one leg at a time and let them regenerate themselves..

So you would have less stars...but also be able to keep the cutest shrimp around..

 

[GinaD]

Too funny! That's not a bad idea, since I heard those harlequin shrimp can plow thru dozens of asterinas in a day. HOWEVER, I had just one of them and they wiped out my grey/white one's in a single day except for one or two I managed to rescue to another tank. I would never buy a live starfish to feed to a shrimp. Something creeps me out about that. Maybe because I like starfish more than shrimp.

 

[Gina McReeferson]

I agree, Gina, it would break my heart to watch that......unless of course it's a star that will eat my corals!!! Then by all means, munch away!!
-Gina

 

[fanaglethebagle]

8 dollars only every other week!

 

[SteveDola]

harmless stars...good in my exp. because they seem to like coraline algea