Starfish ID please...

[NoobieNemo]

This is a pretty well established aquarium, tonight while I was hunting down aiptasia (dern little things), I was really surprised to find this guy on my mag float!

sorta cool, is he a good starfish to have?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v152/NoobieNemo/L1000661.jpg

[redneckgearhead]

Some are, some aren't. I would remove it ASAP, they multilply very very quickly! Be safe and remove it. Do not put it in your sump. I did that and am still fighting it. I bought if off of my LFS only to find out they eat coral!

[NoobieNemo]

also, I have these little itty bitty starfish EVERYWHERE (they are really small, like their main body is the size of a small nail head and they have long legs) they are pretty much completely white (they look a lot like a serpent starfish I believe it's called) they have a circular main body, and then thin, wiry legs)... anyone have any idea what they could be? they tend to always hide in rock work and let their legs dangle out haha...

[SoLiD]

Astrina

http://www.chucksaddiction.com/hitchstars.html

[SoLiD]

Some eat Coraline Algae.... Some eat Acropora... :-/

[NirvanaFan]

The ones that eat coral don't usually show up in the hobby. You can remove it, but you probably have more than that. And the smaller bodied starfish with long thin legs are usually referred to as micro brittle stars.

[cside]

to me it looks like a juvinile Culcita

[potterjon]

That is a harmless asterina. I wouldn't worry about it at all.

[NoobieNemo]

thanks!

glad he's safe!

[matthewl04]

They will multiply like crazy too!!!

[redneckgearhead]

Wouldn't risk it! I would remove it.

[SoLiD]

FYI... If you have one you almost certainly have more. Now that you know what to look for, adjust you eye and stare at your rock work and they will pop out at you. It's almost like see "The Matrix". :)