why did my starfish eat half my fan coral?

[vpadfsu]

I had a fan coral in my tank that intially had some dead spots. After about a week my fan coral started healing up those dead spots. About week 4 in my star fish got on my fan coral and ate half of it???? I mean it climbed onto the bottom portion of the fan coral for a day. After it got off the fan coral...the fan coral turn from purple to brown where it made contact. Then day later my fan coral start decomposing...
Does my starfish have fan coral on his diet?
Or did he just happen to climb it and killed the fan coral bc of contact?

 

[Dr_Doom2]

What kind of starfish?

 

[vpadfsu]

This is a picture....

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

I'm no starfish expert and don't have a clue of the species of that thing, but it sure looks a lot like the types of stars that make a diet of coral.

 

[vpadfsu]

that bastard...im cut off his arm for killing my fan coral

 

[newfound77951]

I agree, that does not look like a reef safe star. If you have a refugium he'd be happy in there, otherwise he will need a new home.

PS please don't cut it into pieces otherwise you'll just have more stars.....

 

[Innovator]

I am not a sea star expert by any means, but my guess is Pentaceraster or Oreaster (cushion stars). I will assume you are joking, but please do not purposely injure the animal. It is only acting upon its natural behaviors and fault lies within the purchaser. Also, not all sea stars will regenerate an entire body from fission, Asterina and Linckia notably two that do, and most that are injured so traumatically usually end up dead.

 

[vpadfsu]

hahaha of course im joking but being in med school it does sound like something i would want to see. But i dont think i have the balls to cut off one of his arms...def looks like pentaceraster or oreaster. Its the only sea star i can find in st kitts reefs. So its looks like fan coral out and he stays.

ps: innovator thanks for the help!!!!

 

[Innovator]

Sure thing, glad I could help

 

[vpadfsu]

STARFISH Pentaceraster DIET

Aite after getting some more coral from the caribbean Ive learned that this starfish loves to eat coral. So if get a Pentaceraster, they love fan coral and other types of soft coral. But im tell u this its coolest looking, most active, best cleaner starfish u will ever come across. Cleans my tank walls like my mom cleans her house. Bad news is i had to take him out...set him free back in the ocean. Diving to get coral for this guy to eat was becoming not worth it.