asterina-type starfish reefsafe?

[Jaybird]

I feel horrible, but this isn't my picture, but it is exactly what I have in the tank. Not sure how many there are in there, but at least two. Are these guys reef-safe? I haven't seen them cruising any corals, but then they are small and it's a big tank.

[melosu58]

I`ve had them for yrs and never had any problems. They always gather on one side every morning.

[Jaybird]

Thanks. I had one....then I saw two at the same time. There are likely more, and it's hard to tell if you are seeing the same ones more than once (if they've moved) or if it's another one. I haven't seen them go for anything, and one used to hang around my green star polyps but was never actually on the star polyps

[Sadielynn]

This is something of a bit of debate ... I have them and when I see them I pull them out ... They have eatin most all of my coraline algea .... and in a nano this can happen quick as anything ... Soooo I lean against them.. There is also some question that they may much on corals ....however I have not witnessed them doing that just cruising over them and irritating them for the most part . There most distructive behaviour IME is eating coraline .

[Bige]

My question is, why are they always have gone? Who eats them? I have bits and pieces of dozens of them. They all stay around the same place.

[Sadielynn]

Those are probably pieces of them that are regenerating a new one ...They split to reproduce There are a few preditors to them one being the harliquin shrimp there are others that off the top of my head I cant think of em now