Asterina starfish

[Rodz Exotic]

Is this an asterina? Didn’t know they can get this big. Found in the filter sock today.

 

[Rodz Exotic]

All other asterina are way smaller. It’s the only one massive. Tank running since 2020.

 

[BryanM]

@ISpeakForTheSeas

I'm going to guess it is not, but I really do not know.... its just not matching up with pics I see.

 

[Naekuh]

Why did u steal patrick from bob?

But im also going to go with no... if that is a asterina, then id hate to see how large and old your tank is, and how long that thing has been in there.

 

[JTP424]

Or are you a REALLY tiny person

 

[Tahoe61]

Yes.

 

[tangyluv]

Yep, just a very large one that’s been eating good!

 

[BristleWormHater]

Definitely not an asterina, make sure you keep it in the water in the future. Many echinoderms, just like sponges, will get air bubbles in their tissue that can be fatal even if they are only out of the water for a short time.

 

[Rodz Exotic]

Definitely not an asterina, make sure you keep it in the water in the future. Many echinoderms, just like sponges, will get air bubbles in their tissue that can be fatal even if they are only out of the water for a short time.

I have a rock breaching the surface for the hermits to catch a break and I always see normal size small asterina and sand sifting star also going to the surface every now and then.

 

[Rodz Exotic]

Yep, just a very large one that’s been eating good!

I bet this is the culprit that ate my gorgonia ventalina. No longer able to get one again.

 

[Rodz Exotic]

Or are you a REALLY tiny person

5’8” short king

 

[BristleWormHater]

I have a rock breaching the surface for the hermits to catch a break and I always see normal size small asterina and sand sifting star also going to the surface every now and then.

Those are exceptions, not rhe rule, its best to play it safe.

 

[Staghorn]

Or are you a REALLY tiny person

 

[Paul B]

I'm not sure, but I have dozens that size and hundreds of smaller ones. I like them.

 

[Naekuh]

I'm not sure, but I have dozens that size and hundreds of smaller ones. I like them.

Harlequin Shrimp AYCE. (All You Can Eat)

 

[SpartaReef]

I have a few that big

 

[EnterName]

Is this an asterina? Didn’t know they can get this big. Found in the filter sock today.

Asterina is a whole genus of starfish so there are various species, a few of which might simply be larger. In that sense, "yes, it might be an Asterina". However, there are different starfish genera like Aquilonastra which look similar and are therefore often confused with Asterina.

The ones posted by @Paul B for example look like Aquilonastra conandae to me and might, not be Asterina.

I'm not sure, but I have dozens that size and hundreds of smaller ones. I like them.

All that being said: I can't tell you if it is friend or foe, but I'm not a fan of Asterinas/Aquilonastras, as I regularly find them eating my zoas.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Is this an asterina? Didn’t know they can get this big. Found in the filter sock today.

Yes and they get large. Here a couple ive caught and was compared to a nickel

 

[Paul B]

I just think that is a small nickel.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

@ISpeakForTheSeas

I'm going to guess it is not, but I really do not know.... its just not matching up with pics I see.

First thought is that it is most likely an Asterinid star (taxonomic family Asterinidae), but it definitely looks a bit different than the usual Aquilonastra stars we get in our tanks (the "Asterinas" - Asterina actually being a different, typically predatory genus in the same family as Aquilonastra).

That said, I have seen one specimen of Aquilonastra cepheus that look quite similar, so that would be my first guess at the moment. A proper ID would require a microscope (and I probably won't have time to actually key it out and see if it's a match for A. cepheus - or any Aquilonastra species - for a while even with the pics, unfortunately).

Yeah, looking more into ID'ing these to the species level, I can see why (it took a bit of work to piece together what parts of the stars I needed to look at and where to find them on the specimens).

It'll take me a bit to work through, but I may be able to ID most of the stars which I can get microscope pics of - the spinelets (the tiny, spikey little things sticking up in clusters off of the star's skin) are the most important features for ID via the keys (specifically the number of spikes in each cluster and the shape of each spike/spike cluster), so as long as the pics can provide clear images of those spines (both on the top of the star and the bottom) and where specifically they're located on the star (i.e. near the mouth, near the ambulacral groove, etc.), I should be able to ID them.

With your pics, taricha, I can see the spinelets relatively clearly on the actinal side (the side with the star's mouth; the "underside" of the star) but not on the abactinal side (the "topside" of the star).

Anyway, for comparison, specimen "F" in the link below:

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Photos-of-live-colour-and-form-of-Aquilonastra-species-a-A-anomala-HL-Clark-Lord_fig2_258135834