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FAQs about Asterina
(tiny, white...) Sea Stars, Compatibility/Control
Related Articles:
Asterina Stars,
An Introduction to the
Echinoderms: The Sea Stars, Sea Urchins, Sea Cucumbers and
More... By James W. Fatherree, M.Sc.
Related FAQs: Asterinas 1, Asterinas
2, & Asterina ID,
Asterina Behavior, Asterina Selection,
Asterina Systems, Asterina Feeding,
Asterina
Disease, Asterina Reproduction,
& Sea Stars 1, Sea
Stars 2, Sea Stars 3, Sea
Stars 4, Sea Stars 5,
Seastar Selection, Seastar
Compatibility, Seastar Systems,
Seastar Behavior,
Seastar
Feeding, Seastar Reproduction, Seastar
Disease, Chocolate Chip Stars, Crown of
Thorns Stars,
Fromia Stars,
Linckia Stars,
Linckia Stars 2, Sand-Sifting Stars,
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Asterina Seastar Populations, control – 03/20/08
How to control these creatures? They multiply so quick. They eat the purple
algae; make the tank look weird and ugly because of white spot. Thanks.
Vinh
<<I have seen postings where it was reported Harlequin Shrimp (Hymenocera sp.)
will eat/reduce populations…but be aware; once the Seastars are gone the shrimp
will starve. Regards, EricR>>
Re: Asterina Seastar
Populations, & Gnathophylliid f' - 03/21/08
Thanks Eric.
<<Welcome Vinh>>
Do Harlequin shrimp is reef safe, and peaceful with other inverters?
Thanks,
Vinh
<<Depends on your definition of “reef safe” I suppose…but other than
Echinoderms, your other inverts should be spared from the shrimp’s diet.
Asterinas –
Reef Safe? 3/2/08
Let me start by thanking you for your valuable expertise in this
matter.
<Well, I’m by no means an expert, but I’m happy to help in any way I
can!>
I'm sorry to take up your time,
<No worries, we’re here to help. :-)>
..but after reading the faq's about Asterina sp. starfish I am still not
yet confident enough to allow these specimens free reign.
<Understandable. There are many different species, some of which may
indeed eat corals or be problematic in reef systems. For the most part,
the little tan/beige asterinids we see so often are harmless
herbivores/scavengers. However, if their numbers become too large and/or
the food supply runs low, they have the potential to cause problems.
I’ve had anterinids in my tanks for years with corals and never had any
issues. Others, unfortunately, have not been so lucky.>
Could you please let me know if it is most likely reef safe?
<Unfortunately, the only way to know for sure is to keep an eye on it.
However, since the majority of these little stars are “well mannered”
I’d give yours the benefit of the doubt - innocent until proven guilty.
Take care, -Lynn>
Re: please help... Asterina... comp.
3/5/08
Thank you I appreciate the reply. I have pulled out about 40 or 50
of the Asterina anomala's since introducing the rock and I initially
assumed the worst. This tank is 2 years old and I have a lot of valuable
SPS in it. I traded a rock covered in zoo's and ric's that I have had
for 3.5 years to this fellow and received some frags and a few rocks in
return. The life in my tank is substantial but I was shocked by the
sudden emergence of species which I had thought to be invasive. Thank
you for the reply and I now feel bad for removing this little creature,
but at the time I was only thinking of the reef that I have grown from
1/2" to 1" frags over years. Again thank you this was my first
experience with WetWeb and I am very pleased by the timely and
constructive reply.
<Welcome! B> |
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Tiny Little Starfish
Hello all, or rather, whoever !
I had moved my 55 gallon tank a month ago and everything is pretty much broken
down. Various fish are in different tanks all through the house, all inhabitants
are doing great in their little vacation homes. My concern is this: The main
tank which just has a lot of my live rock and live sand in it is infested with
tiny little whitish, bluish starfish. I have had a few of these guys from the
beginning but never so many like now. The tank has about 40lbs of live rock in
it, about 4 inches of live sand, lots of brittle stars, macroalgae, etc., but no
fish. I have read some things on these little guys, and I know they supposedly
eat coral, don't have any of that, so it doesn't really matter (but will in the
future), but I just don't want them in there and refuse to kill them. Is there
some fish or such I can get to eat them? Do you know of any damage they may
cause?
<Without a picture, I can offer you a few good guesses. First, I bet the
starfish are harmless. They allegedly eat coral, but you have none and they
still reproduce and thrive, so I think they are probably eating something else.
Secondly, they are reproducing without fish in the tank. Again, it makes me
think they are eating something that the fish would normally eat and compete
against them/starve then down in population or whatever fish you have may eat
some of the starfish. I would not worry about them at this point, but do try to
make a positive identification. Take a look in Julian Sprung's book "The
Invert Guide" and Dr. Shimek's "Key to Identification" found on
his webpage.>
Also, I made my own protein skimmer (countercurrent flow, airstone driven).
Since the filter system is broken down right now, I was thinking about changing
it to Venturi driven. Is this more trouble than it's worth?
<Generally less maintenance than CC air driven models, but far more difficult
to DIY.>
Do these things really run better than with airstones?
<Very debatable. If you are getting good production now, I would be inclined
to keep the current unit.>
I sure go through a lot of airstones and thought it might even be more cost
efficient over time. Whatcha think?
<Airstones are pretty cheap. It would probably take years to recover and
money saved in airstones versus the pump and Venturi valve to run the new DIY
skimmer. Upon rereading, I am not sure you wish to DIY. If not, I would look
through the FAQ's on skimmer selection for various recommendations for various
size tanks and applications.>
Thanks for all the advice, and have a good weekend, Jana
<You are welcome. -Steven Pro>
Nuisance sea stars (Asterina)
Hi, and thanks for your last reply on the length that I can keep mixed Kalk. I am now becoming concerned with the
eradication of the dreaded tiny starfish that can get up to the size of a dime that I have had in small numbers in my tank for approximately one year.
<I assume that they have not eaten anything desirable, but that they have simply grown to a nuisance population?>
I continually find them everywhere and have removed upwards of 200 from my tank over the same time period. The starfish have only been on one side of the tank but are now migrating to the other and I am worried about my SPS corals on that side of the tank.
<my friend... at these numbers, if the species hasn't eaten a coral yet, they are not going to.
Most aquarists never have a single problem with this species... only a few honestly do. They are just a plague... not much of a predator>
I have a 180 gallon. Will the Harlequin shrimp take care of these if I can find one or two?
<Yowza! This is an obligate feeder. It may eat the stars... but what happens when the stars are
eradicated? Are you willing and prepared to buy live starfish monthly if not weekly to keep the shrimp (s) alive? I would never recommend that you simply put a Harlequin in this display for this purpose alone of even primarily. Harlequin shrimp need specialized and direct care>
Would I need to keep two or more for the shrimp to feel at home? I don't think I have any fish that would hurt the shrimp. I do have emerald crabs which have never hurt anything that I have so far.
< "so far" being the operative phrase in that sentence... wait until they grow to sandwich size and the cat goes missing>
Would I need to remove my sand sifting starfish or wouldn't the harlequins bother them?
<the Harlequins will likely bother your other sea stars>
Any other ideas for ridding my tank of the pest starfish?
<dedicated ,manual extraction if they must go... else they are truly excellent algae eaters from the glass (and rocks). You will notice once they are gone>
Thanks again, Jeff
<kindly, Anthony>
A Profusion of Stars (9/15/04)
Hi Mr. Fenner, <Steve Allen helping out tonight.>
I have used your web site for years to help answer many
of my aquatic questions. Thank you. <A pleasure to have a role here. Bob and all
who have contributed over the years have done us all a great service.> In many
of your Q&A you refer to many links for people to follow. As a result, the first
thing I did was go to as many issues to see if my question had been covered! -
It has,
but only in part.
From what I've gathered I'm 97% sure there tiny Asterina
starfish. <Make that even more so, these pix are clearly a form of Asterina.>
This wouldn't be bad except they are eating my coralline algae at aggressive
proportions! <Hmm. They generally eat other algae and I have not heard this
complaint before.> As many as 35 might get plucked from a 6 inch in diameter
live rock.
I estimate roughly 250+ in the tank. <That is quite a lot. I wonder what aspect
of your tank conditions favors this. Overfeeding? Inadequate detritus removal?
Hard to say. Mine has only a few dozen.> They multiply so fast when they break
their appendages, and are hard to see on the rock at times.
The easiest thing to do would be to toss in a Trigger and let him go at it.
Unfortunately, this system is a 5 year old 55gal reef and has an established
group of "peaceful" fish, inverts (coral banded, hermits, bristles) and corals
(candy canes, mushrooms, bubbles, colt, hammer, cabbage, polyps)
What can I do! I have been manually plucking off the starfish with tweezers. The
article from your site (colored in green below) is the nearest reference to my
question I found.
Attached are 3 low-res jpgs of my uninvited guests. <Asterina, to be sure.> You
have my permission to use these images and
our correspondence (edited) if this will help. Please help!!! Thank you. Clayton
<I have to concur with Anthony's opinion on these. There are those who swear
these stars will eat corals, but some very respected invertebrate experts in the
hobby beg to differ. A Harlequin shrimp will need to be fed manually once it
wipes out the Asterina. Someone at GARF was crowing about keeping them alive for
8 months. I am not impressed--18 months and I might start to be. It doesn't
sound like you can use the kinds of large aggressive fish that might eat them.
That leaves manual plucking with tweezers, which the sites I checked recommend.
I'd suggest that if you do try this, you take the time to pluck out every last
one that you can get at. Good luck.>
Tweezing Stars (9/16/04)
Thanks Steve Allen. <You're welcome.> I was afraid tweezers or the
Harlequin were my only options. <Regrettably so, the first of these being the
only truly viable choice.> I will double check my "tank waste" levels. I would
think they would want to be where the detritus is and not on my coralline
however. <Go figure. Maybe they have developed a taste for it.> Time to tweeze.
<You will have your hand & arm in the tank for a long time doing this. I
strongly advise wearing a long-armed aquarium glove to protect your skin. It
will take some practice to be able to use tweezers while wearing one. Go to
www.drsfostersmith.com and search on "gloves" in the fish section for examples.>
Thank you for your response. Clayton <Good luck to you. Steve Allen.>
(Asterina anxieties)
Hi I'm wondering if you guys could help me out real fast. I have a small 7
gallon reef tank and this evening I noticed a very very small white star fish
like creature in the tank. Looking further I have found a ton more hiding in the
rocks and inside the green algae. Are these bad? What will chow down on them? I
just now placed an emerald crab inside the tank to control more of the algae and
was hoping he would dine on them as well. Any help you guys could give me would
be great. I would also like to thank you for the countless articles of help I
have already read for help in the past, Thank again, Brian S.
<Mmm, not likely a problem with these little stars. You can read about others
experiences with Asterina on WetWebMedia.com. I would use the Google search tool
on the homepage and the genus name. Bob Fenner>
- Mini-star dangerous? -
Hello All,
First I want to thank all of the WWM crew for their tireless efforts to
make the WWM what I consider to be one of the best sources for practical
advice on marine aquaria I have come across in the "whole year"
I have been involved in the hobby (read that obsessed). <Haha, that's
good to hear!> Thank You!!! I have also just received "Reef
Invertebrates" By Anthony and Robert, wonderful work and very much
appreciated. <Will pass along!>
Now for one of many questions, Attached is an amateur photo of the
underside of one of several critters I have recently noticed in my 55 Gal.
Reef. This animal is approx. 3/8" across and appears to be akin to
some sort of starfish when viewed from above. They are somewhat active and
I have observed them on my Tridacnid clam shell and some of the LPS coral
bases but have not observed any damage done. Any help with ID would be
greatly appreciated as I have scoured your site as well as a good part of
the net with no success other than continued education.
<That's a tiny sea star of the genus Asterina. Most of these critters
are simply harmless algae and bacteria feeders, but some have been seen
chowing SPS tissue. They are quite common in reef tanks, so don't be
alarmed unless you see them cruising over on of your acro's. They
reproduce by dropping legs, which explains the odd and highly variable
shape!>
As of yet I have had some wonderful success with my tank and am involved
in propagating LPS and SPS corals, I have 120 lbs LR in a 55G show tank,
1-2" Med aragonite base, overflow to a wet dry with protein skimmer
in sump, I have a 10G refugium loaded w/ copepods and all kinds of macro
algae which along with the live rock I attribute to the successful
existence of 2 fat and happy Dragonets 1 mandarin and 1 psychedelic,
<Good to hear of fat and happy dragonets, I hear too much of the other
extreme...>
I was about 6 months into a FO set up when one of my vendors sold me the
contents of his reef tank and thrust me into this wonderful world where I
have been scrambling to learn as much as I can trying to keep everything
alive with only a minor fatality of SPS along the way. <Sometimes that
happens, don't let it get you down. Happy fraggin'! -Kevin> Thanks
again for all your work and advice.
Best Regards, Jim |
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Asterina Star Invasion - 04/30/06
Hi Bob / Crew,
<<Hello Matt...Eric Russell here tonight>>
I have been reading through the FAQ's etc and I have determined that my 180 gal
(semi) reef has a plague of Asterina stars.
<<Likely not as much a problem as you perceive>>
They are varying in size from dots to 1/2" specimens, and I have hundreds of
them.
<<Like many of the organisms in our tanks, these too are self-limiting based on
available food stuffs>>
On any given morning I could have between 150 and 250 of them on the front glass
alone.
<<Is a bunch...but probably not anything to worry about>>
They are everywhere - and to be honest are quite unsightly stuck to the front
glass all the time.
<<Getting in the way of viewing your tank eh?>>
My tank is not exactly a full blown reef - it has half a dozen mushroom
(Sarcophyton) corals ranging in size from 12-14" to 2", some 'shrooms and star
polyps, and a mature finger leather coral (about 12").
<<Is still a "reef" my friend>>
Reading previous FAQ's, I see that the only real options for removal are a
tweezers (but they'll just divide and come back within a couple of weeks) or a
Harlequin shrimp (that would run the risk of starvation once the stars are
gone).
<<Take a look at your feeding practices...these stars are eating "something">>
I was thinking / hoping that seeing as I have so many of these little guys that
it might be enough to sustain a single harlequin shrimp long term. Would this
be a realistic hope?
<<I'm skeptical>>
Failing this, is there any fish that could be reliably used for removing
them? Seeing as my tank contains only hardy, nasty tasting corals, I was hoping
there might be a fishy alternative - like maybe a Maculosus or Navarchus angel
or the like.......
<<Not that I'm aware of mate. I think your best bet is to adopt a judicious
feeding plan and let them go by way of attrition>>
Thanks guys <<and gals>>.
Regards,
Matt
<<Things could be worse my friend...I wouldn't fret the stars, they will likely
wane on their own. Regards, Eric Russell>>
Asterina eating a polyp 12/20/06
Hello Crew,
<Hey Nick, JustinN with you today>
Thanks for the awesome website!
<Thanks for the kind words!>
I was wondering if you could help me with a couple questions I couldn't find an
answer to.
<I can certainly try, can't I? *grin*>
I have numerous little white starfish which I believe to be Asterina.
<Likely so, very common>
I have had them for well over a year with no problems. A few days ago I noticed
that some of the polyps on one of my Zoanthid colonies were not looking very
good, shriveled and discolored. Last night I looked at the colony and noticed
one of the Asterina engulfing one of the polyps.
<Scavenging, as they do...>
Do you believe that this starfish was only eating the polyp because it was dead
or dying? -or-
Do you think it just attacked the polyp because it was hungry. (although I've
never seen this happen for over a year since I've had the starfish population)
<I think you answered your own question here *grin* You witnessed the degrading
of the polyps before the incident happened, and as you stated, you are well over
a year incident free. I personally believe these intriguing (and invariably
free!) reef denizens have gained a bad rap in the Zoanthid fanatic circles. I've
not seen anything beyond circumstantial at best information on this behavior
from Asterina stars.>
Worried, I peeled the starfish off and removed him from the tank. But now I
wonder what would have happened if I had left him.... Do you think he just would
have beneficially eaten the decaying part of the colony or would he have eaten
the health polyps as well.
<My thought is the former, not the latter.>
So if I see this again should I just let the starfish do his work?
<Yes, if you witness this again, I would just let it happen, is part of the
biota balance.>
One other quick question, I am giving some Chaetomorpha macroalgae to my brother
for his refugium. I have a population of flatworms in my tank that I don't mind,
but my brother might. I was curious if it would be ok to freshwater dip this
algae to remove the worms.... I could just swish it in saltwater, but I'm afraid
that it might not remove them all.
<Why not just take the safety route and use both methods? Rinse in some
saltwater first, then do a short freshwater dip before rerinsing in saltwater
and bagging for your brother.>
Thank you so much in advance for your help. Everyone have a happy Holiday!
-Nick
<Happy holidays to you and yours as well, Nick. Hope this helps you! -JustinN>
Asterina Starfish compatibility 11/24/06
Hello,
<Hello and a happy Thanksgiving to you, Rosemary! JustinN with you today.>
I very much enjoyed reading the information you had posted on your web sight
about Star Fishes. I am looking for information about a specific breed I did
not see mentioned on your web sight. I was told it is called "Asterina Mini
Star" I will email you the listing off eBay so you might see what they look
like.
<Mmm, not necessary, am very familiar with this species>
I am interested in learning anything you know about this species. I especially
wanted to know if they are coral safe? I currently have a pair of Erectus sea
horses and a bluestriped pipe fish in a 15 gallon tank. I wanted to make sure
this is a peaceful type. According to the sellers listing this type is suppose
to remain small so I thought it might be perfect for my tank. I would greatly
appreciate to learn what you know about them. I would be extremely grateful for
any help you could give me!
Thank you so much for your time!
Best Wishes
Rosemary
<While some people like to point fingers and blame Asterina stars for such
things as polyps not extending, and of consuming Zoanthids, myself and many
other reefers in my area have many of these in our tanks and have never seen any
deleterious effects. These starfish have little to no affect on the overall
bioload, and are excellent detritivores. The main reason that they seem to get
accused of as much ill as they do, is because they do reproduce like weeds. If
your tank is nutrient rich enough, they can grow to plague proportions, although
it is typically easy to keep in check with manual extraction. Do you have any
live rock in your aquarium? If so, you may already have some Asterina stars and
not know it yet! Have a browse through our existing Asterina starfish FAQ's and
decide for yourself if they sound right for you:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/asterinafaqs.htm Hope this helps you! -JustinN>
Hitchhiker...friendly or evil?
Asterina Stars – 12/30/07
Hello,
<Hello, Brenda here!>
I purchased my first batch of live rock yesterday for my brand new saltwater
aquarium! Yippee!!
<Congratulations on a very exciting adventure!>
When I got it at the store, the guy helped me pick out a really good piece with
a little mushroom on it and a small white starfish which I thought was pretty
cool. When I got it all home and put them in, I found another, and this morning
I found another! They're asymmetrical, tiny creamy colored things. I've done
some research and found out that they are either carnivorous enemies that must
be irradiated before they populate the entire tank and eat all of your coral, or
cute, harmless algae eaters. I'd like to keep them because I like them, but if
they're going to cause a problem I'd like to get rid of them earlier rather than
later. Do you have any idea which one they are or how to tell?
<It sounds like you have Asterina Stars.>
Have you encountered this at all?
<I have Asterina Stars in all of my reef tanks. I have never encountered a
problem with them. I find them to be beneficial. Some have stated that they have
witnessed these stars eating coral. This is rare in healthy coral. Asterina
Stars are often found eating already dead tissue and are falsely accused. I
would not be concerned, and would add them to my tank. More information found
here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/asterinafaqs.htm >
Thanks!
<You’re welcome and good luck to you! Brenda>
Re: Asterina Stars – 12/30/07
Good to hear!
I have an 8g nano tank, hopefully will become a reef tank, and already I have
three nice sized whitish ones and like 10 TINY bluish ones (about a cm long).
<Yikes! I would remove the blue ones. My previous recommendation was for the
white and tan Asterina Stars that you stated you had. I have read of instances
where any pink, purple or blue Asterina stars are known to eat coral.>
How quickly will they overrun my tank?
<This is hard to say and will depend on available food. An 8 gallon tank is
rather small, so it may happen within a few months.>
When should I start plucking?
<This is a personal choice. I never remove the white/tan ones. Many people do
not like to have them on the glass.>
Thanks so much!
Tori
<You’re welcome! Brenda>
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