Little white Starfish

4MB · 08/26/2006, 01:44 PM

I have a little white starfish on an rock that came with my new finger leather, do I remove it or let it stay. I thought I heard someone say something about these before and cant remember what they said.

Wish I could have gotten a pic, camera is no good. It is white maybe 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch big. and you can see a darkened area along its legs in the center.

bertoni · 08/26/2006, 01:48 PM

Mini-brittle-stars like that are good to have, in my experience. I've paid money for them.

Avi · 08/26/2006, 02:14 PM

I think you may be describing an asterina starfish rather than a brittle starfish.

Sk8r · 08/26/2006, 04:41 PM

Asterinas get very mixed reviews. I know for certain they eat coralline and the dratted things never eat it off the glass, only off the rock. Bumblebee shrimp eat them. Harmless in your sump. That's where I'd put him.

bertoni · 08/26/2006, 04:43 PM

Hmm, good point. Asterina stars sometimes eat corals, although most do not. Mine eat algae off the glass from time to time, though.

SeanySean · 08/26/2006, 05:09 PM

I have lots these small, white brittle starfish in my tank. They harm nothing and I have been told they are good for the tank. Love em and enjoy em!!!!!!!

Sean

(and my girlfrind thinks they are cute!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

murfman · 08/31/2006, 04:58 AM

I found one on a monti cap and where it had been "walking" looked like it was bleaching

bertoni · 08/31/2006, 12:25 PM

That sounds like the coral-eating asterinids. Some people do get them.

MimicTang · 08/31/2006, 01:49 PM

Get a Harlequin Shrimp it'll rip those littel profanity removed apart and you can keep the quin if you have alot cuz they only eat starfish.

AquaReeferMan · 08/31/2006, 02:59 PM

I have a lot of Asterinas and like Sk8r said mine also are eating spots of coralline from my LR. I started noticing it after one of Sk8tr most and they were indeed leaving white marks after their paths. Whenever I see them I yank them out. I never see them on the glass though. This type of Starfish drops a leg off and the leg becomes a startfish. The only downfall to getting a Harlequin is once you run out of these little stars the shrimp will die unless you go out and buy a star from time to time. You can tell the difference by their legs. The ast. have very fat legs, while the brittles have very skinny legs. HTH

AquaReeferMan · 08/31/2006, 03:07 PM

Here is a link with a picture of the Asterina
http://static.flickr.com/41/123064120_76abfbb438_m.jpg
Here is a link with a picture of a Small Brittle
http://melevsreef.com/id/tbs/babybrittles_tb.jpg

08/26/2006, 01:44 PM	#1
4MB Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Maine Posts: 98	Little white Starfish I have a little white starfish on an rock that came with my new finger leather, do I remove it or let it stay. I thought I heard someone say something about these before and cant remember what they said. Wish I could have gotten a pic, camera is no good. It is white maybe 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch big. and you can see a darkened area along its legs in the center.

08/26/2006, 01:48 PM	#2
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	Mini-brittle-stars like that are good to have, in my experience. I've paid money for them. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

08/26/2006, 02:14 PM	#3
Avi Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Westchester County, NY Posts: 7,327	I think you may be describing an asterina starfish rather than a brittle starfish. __________________ I'd keep the whole ocean if my den were big enough Current Tank Info: 120 gallon reef with 210 lbs. of live rock, Aqua-C EV180 Skimmer, Aquactinic double 250W MH with blue plus t5 support; 58 gallon freshwater planted tank using CO2 and T5s; 30-gallon cube with a few fancy goldfish; and a 110 gallon FOWLR

08/26/2006, 04:41 PM	#4
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Asterinas get very mixed reviews. I know for certain they eat coralline and the dratted things never eat it off the glass, only off the rock. Bumblebee shrimp eat them. Harmless in your sump. That's where I'd put him. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

08/26/2006, 04:43 PM	#5
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	Hmm, good point. Asterina stars sometimes eat corals, although most do not. Mine eat algae off the glass from time to time, though. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

08/26/2006, 05:09 PM	#6
SeanySean Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Manchester (UK) Posts: 885	I have lots these small, white brittle starfish in my tank. They harm nothing and I have been told they are good for the tank. Love em and enjoy em!!!!!!! Sean (and my girlfrind thinks they are cute!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) __________________ _______________ You paid how much for moldy rock!!!! Current Tank Info: 130G http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1042110

08/31/2006, 04:58 AM	#7
murfman Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Colorado Springs Posts: 4,670	I found one on a monti cap and where it had been "walking" looked like it was bleaching

08/31/2006, 12:25 PM	#8
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	That sounds like the coral-eating asterinids. Some people do get them. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

08/31/2006, 01:49 PM	#9
MimicTang Moved On Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Hartford CT Posts: 1,517	Get a Harlequin Shrimp it'll rip those littel profanity removed apart and you can keep the quin if you have alot cuz they only eat starfish. Last edited by bertoni; 08/31/2006 at 04:18 PM.

08/31/2006, 02:59 PM	#10
AquaReeferMan Got Reef? Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Under the Sea, Pa Posts: 4,593	I have a lot of Asterinas and like Sk8r said mine also are eating spots of coralline from my LR. I started noticing it after one of Sk8tr most and they were indeed leaving white marks after their paths. Whenever I see them I yank them out. I never see them on the glass though. This type of Starfish drops a leg off and the leg becomes a startfish. The only downfall to getting a Harlequin is once you run out of these little stars the shrimp will die unless you go out and buy a star from time to time. You can tell the difference by their legs. The ast. have very fat legs, while the brittles have very skinny legs. HTH __________________ Couple SPS/Zoanthid tanks and a couple of FW planted tanks. Current Tank Info: 5 pieces of glass with some silicone and plastic frames holding them together

08/31/2006, 03:07 PM	#11
AquaReeferMan Got Reef? Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Under the Sea, Pa Posts: 4,593	Here is a link with a picture of the Asterina http://static.flickr.com/41/123064120_76abfbb438_m.jpg Here is a link with a picture of a Small Brittle http://melevsreef.com/id/tbs/babybrittles_tb.jpg __________________ Couple SPS/Zoanthid tanks and a couple of FW planted tanks. Current Tank Info: 5 pieces of glass with some silicone and plastic frames holding them together