Baby Starfish??

[Jammerwocky]

Could this be anything else besides a baby starfish???

I'm so excited, and really hope it is!

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

It looks like an Asterina starfish to me - it's probably full size or just about full size (it looks like it might have some growing room on some of its legs still, but that's about it).

Edit: They're a common hitchhiker, and they're know to reproduce like crazy (some people consider them pests because of their reproduction, others think they might eat corals - if they do, it might be a species specific thing or a "you have too many asterinas and should probably remove some" thing).

 

[Conchman]

Second, it is a Asternia, most have partial or missing limbs, never had more than a few, my favorite hitcher, is a "Micro Brittle Star"...

 

[Duffer]

They are considered a hitchhiker that some claim can eat zoas…they will multiple quickly and you will which you did not keep them,…I had a couple and within a week or so there were 50 where it got out of hand and could not keep up…they will eat coralline algae quickly…

 

[Robert1994]

L just found one of these on the glass. I tried and failed to capture it. I think that I see two more of them on my rocks.
How do I get rid of them ? Is there a fish or invertebrate that will eat them ?

 

[sue26]

Could this be anything else besides a baby starfish???

I'm so excited, and really hope it is!

Yes got 1 on my glass today screen shot it .ha ha few say they are good and few say get rid. Will hang on to mind

 

[EnterName]

L just found one of these on the glass. I tried and failed to capture it. I think that I see two more of them on my rocks.
How do I get rid of them ? Is there a fish or invertebrate that will eat them ?

Harlekin shrimp, but it will kill all starfish in a tank and it doesn't eat anything else, which means once it has gotten rid of all asterinas, you will have to feed it or pass it on to the next person.

 

[EnterName]

Could this be anything else besides a baby starfish???

I'm so excited, and really hope it is!

Yes got 1 on my glass today screen shot it .ha ha few say they are good and few say get rid. Will hang on to mind

Some eat Zoa polyps (seen it first hand multiple times). Every time I see one I immediately take it out.

 

[exnisstech]

Some eat Zoa polyps (seen it first hand multiple times). Every time I see one I immediately take it out.

This has been my experience as well and I've also witnessed one eating flesh off of an acro once. My Harlequin went MIA after 13 months even tho there were still asterinas in the tank. TBH I've never been able to prevent them or totally eradicate them. Population tends to come and go I assume based on available food. Mine move to the glass at night and if there's a lot in the morning I'll scrape them off with a net and dispose of them.