6-legged starfish?

[gksipps]

Purchased a bunch of LR from LFS this past week - unknowingly came home with 3 brittles (LFS knew about at least 2 of them, they just were tired of trying to fish them out of the rock, 3rd was a complete surprise today!), 1 red anemone, some other little red thing about the size of a quarter - has arms that resemble a shrunken anemone, but a completely flat body (???). Also, found a small (10 mm) critter that looks exactly like a sand sifting sea star, but it has 6 legs. I counted them several times. I thought sea stars/starfish only had 5 legs? If this critter is not a starfish, what is it? (No pictures available, it was gone back into the rock by the time I could get my camera!) Just imagine a sand sifter with an extra leg. Any ideas?

 

[steven the fish]

Maybee its a mutated star fish that came out of a nuclear power plant? LOL Honistley i do not know.

 

[jillian ayers]

How big is the 6-legged starfish?

 

[steven the fish]

gksipps said 10 mm

 

[krishj39]

I dunno what type of starfish it is, but it is not at all uncommon for a starfish to have more than 5 legs. While 5 is the most common, some species have many more. Also, some starfish types that usually have 5 legs will sometimes have 6 legs instead, sorta like 4 leaf clover.

 

[steven the fish]

i like the mutated idea better

 

[krishj39]

given

 

[steven the fish]

given what?

 

[krishj39]

Uh, as in the expression. It is a given that the mutated idea is better/more fun.

 

[steven the fish]

oh, more fun

 

[killafins]

question, are two of the leggs smaller than the rest?

 

[lesa]

is this star fish white? IF so check in the reef forum there is a picture of one that is white. I have one that is tiny and white that was a hitchhiker.

 

[rbmount]

hope they didn't charge xtra for hitchhikers...i just found a baby brittle in my tank sat

 

[ophiura]

The seastar is probably an Asterina sp star and there are loads of posts on them, including, as noted, one be Lesa in Reefs Small brittlestars are common hitch hikers in LR and will generally remain quite small. Beneficial little critters to get!