Starfish ID?

[keegster803]

Hey guys my nano has been set up for around a month and a quarter, I just finished the cycling with a piece of cocktail shrimp. I was adding in water when this guy appeared, he is Alive and looks well, I was wondering if someone could ID him?



Sent from my iPad using Aquarium Advice

 

[Toffee]

Could be asterina star, bad for stony corals and zoes

Sent from my SM-N910T using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[Reefing Madness]

Asterina Starfish
The one you have is the harmless one.
The colored ones are the bad ones, they grey white ones are harmless.

 

[keegster803]

So I can keep zoas in my tank and they won't get eaten by the starfish?


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[Sniperhank]

Yes, asterina starfish are harmless.

 

[keegster803]

Thanks for all your help. I'm so glad it's harmless


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[mr_X]

There is no behavior difference between colored and white asterinas- some just turn to coral flesh at random after years of being reef safe, and some do not. I would not consider asterina starfish as "bad for corals", as the instances where they turn carnivorous are much less than people would have you believe. What we read on the net are the bad experiences, and not the majority of folks who don't have any trouble at all with them, like plane crashes- the crashes make news, but the thousands of safe landings daily are never reported.