Starfish?????? ID Please

[newbe reefer]

I found this in the tank the other day. It looks like a starfish, but this thing has 7 legs and I thought starfish have 5.
Anyone know the name? Is it reef safe?
Thanks,
NewBe

 

[nacl-h2o]

It looks like a common white mini star which are mostly algea grazers. They usually have 6 legs but can have seven. Not all star fish have 5 legs, some have many, some more than a dozen. Be for warned however, simular looking star fish to yours that are orange or brown will eat some types of SPS, but the white ones are generaly safe.

 

[newbe reefer]

Thanks NaCL-H2O,
I was looking at the tank after I posted and found 2 more of these little guys. You said it's a mini star, how big do they get, the one pictured is half the size of my pinky nail. Also I don't have any SPS corals just alot of softies so hopfully It'll be okay
Thanks,
NewBe

 

[nacl-h2o]

It's probably as big as it's going to get. They stay small and reproduce by fission, actualy spliting in half and each side regrowing the missing parts. That's why they look lopsided sometimes, it means they just recently split.

 

[newbe reefer]

Cool thanks.
These kind of discoveries always amaze me. I've had the tank set-up since January and now I find mini starfish!!!! A couple of months ago I found mini brittle stars. This is the coolest hobby

NewBe

 

[michaeltx]

most of them are harmless but will feed on damaged or dying corals so keep an eye on him but in general they are reef safe., I thnk they are called asteria stars or something similar I have 6 that I have found in my tank. as far as size thats about it.
Mike

 

[dragonladylea]

Hey, What about blue ones? I have two of them both have six legs and are about the size of my pinky nail? Are these the same as the white ones?

 

[michaeltx]

blue ones huh never seen them maybe ophirou ( canr remeber how to spell it :-Þ) will see this and comment on it.
me personally have never seen or heard of the blue ones but that doesnt mean anything.,
Can you get a picture of one of them?
Mike

 

[attml]

A type of Asterina Starfish

 

[michaeltx]

I was close on the spelling LOL

 

[attml]

Sorry Michael - I didn't even see that in your 1st post!

 

[newbe reefer]

Thanks everyone.
And Old Yeller Tang, that is too weird
I looked up the name Asterina on the the web and found a disturbing article on Garf's site.
Here's the link, what do you'll think, should I be worried???
http://www.garf.org/STAR/starfish.html
Thanks,
NewBe

 

[leigh]

sweet pic old yeller tang!
and the garf article is a whole bunch of pooey...it is true there are some that are scary and eat corals, but they are very few and rare, in all liklihood you have a good one. keep an eye on it to see if it threatens your corals at all, but most of us have them whether we know it or not...and they are at least 9/10 of the time a good thing.

 

[newbe reefer]

Thanks Leigh. Hopfully I have the harmless ones.

NewBe

 

[newbe reefer]

Thanks Old Yeller

NewBe

 

[ophiura]

Very very few cause any problems whatsoever, and I always cringe when people quote that GARF article Keep an eye on them, but most will be harmless. FWIW, they are impossible to identify based on color, size, or number of legs.

 

[newbe reefer]

Thanks Ophiura!!!!!!!!
I was hoping I would hear from you I feel much better about them being in my tank now.

NewBe