Asternia starfish or?

[PeterEde]

This star just came out from under a rock. First time seeing it.
Last LR was a few months ago

 

[blaxsun]

Looks like it.

 

[CrazyDuck959]

This star just came out from under a rock. First time seeing it.
Last LR was a few months ago

That looks like it, I would try to remove it if you can.

 

[ying yang]

Yes looks like one but more and more I'm reading others say not actually asterina but another name,don't think matters as most refer to them as asterina

 

[Goaway]

Can't say what it is without seeing the other side.

 

[PeterEde]

Can't say what it is without seeing the other side.

It's vanished again

 

[Goaway]

It's vanished again

Majority vote is to cast it to the bottomless pit.
But if you ever want a species id.
That's what we need to see.

 

[PeterEde]

Majority vote is to cast it to the bottomless pit.
But if you ever want a species id.
That's what we need to see.

Getting a top shot was not possible by the time I saw it.
But what I saw and I think the photo shows is the leg tips are split like the bottom right star?
but it only has 5 limbs not 6

 

[Goaway]

Getting a top shot was not possible by the time I saw it.
But what I saw and I think the photo shows is the leg tips are split like the bottom right star?
but it only has 5 limbs not 6

Color form is rather important. All of those guys in that photo are aquilonastra. There are people who have had negative experience with them. Mostly they are claimed to eat zoas.

 

[bruno3047]

Just pulled a big black one out of my tank today. As I’ve said previously. I don’t want anything in my tank I did not put in there on purpose.

 

[Uncle99]

Great post advice above IMM!
They will get out on the glass.
Pull them, limited value to the reef.

 

[PeterEde]

Have to wait to see it again.
As I said it must have come on the last live rock which was a few months ago and that was the first I knew about it

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Getting a top shot was not possible by the time I saw it.
But what I saw and I think the photo shows is the leg tips are split like the bottom right star?
but it only has 5 limbs not 6

As shown in that same bottom right image, the stars can have different numbers of legs. They reproduce fissiparously, meaning they split in two and both pieces grow into their own specimens. In this case, the star (an Aquilonastra sp. - commonly known as Asterina stars in the hobby, though Asterina is technically a different genus in the same family, Asterinidae) drop legs and those legs turn into new stars, growing new legs and dropping them later to form still more stars.

As mentioned, a top view is needed to ID to the species level.

 

[PeterEde]

As shown in that same bottom right image, the stars can have different numbers of legs. They reproduce fissiparously, meaning they split in two and both pieces grow into their own specimens. In this case, the star (an Aquilonastra sp. - commonly known as Asterina stars in the hobby, though Asterina is technically a different genus in the same family, Asterinidae) drop legs and those legs turn into new stars, growing new legs and dropping them later to form still more stars.

As mentioned, a top view is needed to ID to the species level.

So a fair bet I now have 2
Or a crab ate a leg?

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

So a fair bet I now have 2
Or a crab ate a leg?

You most likely have several. I’ve heard for a lot of people that the stars are relatively shy during the day, but if they look after lights out, there are usually substantially larger numbers of them in the tank.

 

[PeterEde]

You most likely have several. I’ve heard for a lot of people that the stars are relatively shy during the day, but if they look after lights out, there are usually substantially larger numbers of them in the tank.

I was up mid night with a torch. Didn't see any stars except outside.
I'm often checking with a torch.
I had a linckia early on but it disappeared long ago. That was a nice little mottled star

 

[Hairyteeth]

I feel like they are similar to aptasia… I have a harliquin in my nano and every few months I find one more in the back chamber surprisingly…. I’m in the bad zoa experience with these guys