Another What is this?.....

[Bumgrundle]

Just noticed about 30+ of these creatures in my refugium, at first all I noticed were what look like half sized pieces of white rice attached to the plexi, and on rubble that's in the Mud. Then I noticed this bugger when I was getting ready to take a picture of the small ones.....
Now obviously it's some species of A star fish.
My questions are, What is the species?
And where the heck did it come from 0,o
My tank is just under 2 months old.
The refugium is a month along.
Cured/cycled All dry rock and sand.
The only place I can see where they may have been introduced is either the Fuji Mud I bought (2 gal bucket) or off the rubble I got from a LFS to attempt to seed pods. (Kinda sure that's the ticket, the rubble...but that's been in there for well over a month, and i've not noticed them at all.

 

[Tahoe61]

Asterina star :-)

 

[azbigjohn]

Asterina star :-)

+1

Usually population rises and falls. Some are accused of eating zoas, (usually darker ones) but I've never witnessed that.

 

[erinmegan85]

Definitely Asterina star. I have them in my Biocube and they've never caused an issue.

 

[Bumgrundle]

Definitely Asterina star. I have them in my Biocube and they've never caused an issue.

I jsut had the chance to read only one article on them so far. I understand that they also eat Coraline Algae? Have you observed this in your cube?
As this is so cool, unexpected and interesting, i'm going to let them have at it, observe and then decide what to do from my observations. But if they do end up munching on my corals or eating the 10 to 15 pinhead purple spots i've just noticed on my LR, heh =) then i'll be shopping for a Bumblebee shrimp.
The article I just read stated that Harlequin shrimp(s) will tear them up, but then you'll need to feed them, grown or purchased Asterinas once their population is wiped out. I don't think I've ever seen that Harlequin shrimp were obligate feeders when looking at sales point for them.
Dang this is 100x more fun than I even imagined it would be heh

 

[Bumgrundle]

+1

Usually population rises and falls. Some are accused of eating zoas, (usually darker ones) but I've never witnessed that.

The darker ones eh? that's encouraging as I've looked hard for any other colors and all are snow white. Thanx for the info

 

[BluewaterLa]

The underside of them viewed from the glass will be white. And you will see a tint of yellow as they extrude their gut to feed on algae on the glass.
Most of them feed on micro algae on the rocks and glass.
They are darker colored on their back sides. Pick it off the glass and take a look, they should be sand colored with some darker coloration in the center and running down the legs.
Keep in mind that these things reproduce like mad in our aquariums, if a leg breaks off it will grow into a new starfish.
Most consider them a pest. They do help in a very small way with alge but not much to make an impact.
Usually manually removing them early on will save you the hassle from trying to do it once they establish a large population.

The ones in my tank stay on the glass, rock and sometimes on my corals near the base. I have never had an issue with them harming any corals or softies and zoas.

 

[4FordFamily]

X7 it's an Asterina star. I've had the for a decade they've never harmed anything although they can take over. When my fish husbandry slacks (fewer water changes resulting in higher nitrates for example) they tend to increase their populations a lot. Same for when I forget to replace my GFO media

 

[Bumgrundle]

The underside of them viewed from the glass will be white. And you will see a tint of yellow as they extrude their gut to feed on algae on the glass.
Most of them feed on micro algae on the rocks and glass.
They are darker colored on their back sides. Pick it off the glass and take a look, they should be sand colored with some darker coloration in the center and running down the legs.
Keep in mind that these things reproduce like mad in our aquariums, if a leg breaks off it will grow into a new starfish.
Most consider them a pest. They do help in a very small way with alge but not much to make an impact.
Usually manually removing them early on will save you the hassle from trying to do it once they establish a large population.

The ones in my tank stay on the glass, rock and sometimes on my corals near the base. I have never had an issue with them harming any corals or softies and zoas.

Yeah, I'm really on the fence about these guys. Tho i'm thinking hard about a harlequin shrimp in the DT and xfer stars as needed.
If nothing else, it'll be a reason for me to give my wife for new livestock. =P
And you are absolutely spot on with the color and markings. Do their larva look like 1/2 a grain of rice with like 4 or 5 little hairs, ala fan worm, on one end?

 

[Bumgrundle]

X7 it's an Asterina star. I've had the for a decade they've never harmed anything although they can take over. When my fish husbandry slacks (fewer water changes resulting in higher nitrates for example) they tend to increase their populations a lot. Same for when I forget to replace my GFO media

Ayup...having Nitrate issues as we speak, constant 20ppm, but i'll figure out a way to let them live and thrive. Even seeing a stoopid lil starfish on my fuge glass got me stoked! hah
Any ideas on the half grain of rice larva in the fuge? Both appeared at the same time.

 

[4FordFamily]

Ayup...having Nitrate issues as we speak, constant 20ppm, but i'll figure out a way to let them live and thrive. Even seeing a stoopid lil starfish on my fuge glass got me stoked! hah
Any ideas on the half grain of rice larva in the fuge? Both appeared at the same time.

Sounds like pods to me

 

[Bumgrundle]

Sounds like pods to me

Ahh I can't see the forest for the trees! I'm sure you're correct. Thanx

 

[4FordFamily]

Ahh I can't see the forest for the trees! I'm sure you're correct. Thanx

Without photos it's just an educated guess they tend to hang in the sump and away from where fish in the tank can reach them to eat them.

 

[4FordFamily]

To clarify I had a strain of velvet that didn't show classic dusting or small spots for months but fish after fish dropped. Other symptoms were present such as swimming in to powerhead occasionally but being more cryptic and hiding from light the final days was very present.

 

[Bumgrundle]

Saw your post, grabbed my point of sale camera, and saw this one that has broken away from the plexi, moves like a jellyfish, but locomotion is like a Squid.