Resolved ID this please. (some sort of starfish maybe?)

Discussion in 'ID This!' started by jakeh24, Jun 23, 2010.

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  1. evolved

    evolved Wrasse Freak

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    It's an asterina star. You might want to keep an eye on it.
     
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  3. Gresham

    Gresham Great Blue Whale

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    It could be a "Asterinid sp" but I'll let they pro tell you about that when she arrives :)
     
  4. jakeh24

    jakeh24 Pajama Cardinal

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    It might be an asterina star but it doesn't really look like the ones i've seen before
     
  5. Gresham

    Gresham Great Blue Whale

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    Ditto :D
     
  6. homegrowncorals

    homegrowncorals Ribbon Eel

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    i found this on the garf site about these bad little stars

    The starfish is Asterina anomala and is common on many reefs in the Indo-Pacific.
    This fissiparous* starfish is carnivorous on sessile animals including corals.
    It usually occurs under rocks on reef flats. The mottled coloration makes the starfish very cryptic:
     
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  7. Magnus

    Magnus Sharknado

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    Maybe an Asterina Phylactica?
     
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  9. LeslieH

    LeslieH Spanish Shawl Nudibranch

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    Gresh's cavalry is here. ;) It appears to be an asterinid star which means it belongs to the family Asterinidae. They are extremely difficult to id even to genus, let alone to species, and especially if it's a small one. This looks as if it's regenerating although I can't tell if that's because it split in half or if something ate some of it. Different species have different food preferences. You can't predict what one will eat just by looking at it.....unless of course it has its arms wrapped around a coral & its stomach out! The majority of the ones that show up in tanks are harmless micro-grazers.
     
    Last edited: Jun 23, 2010
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  10. jakeh24

    jakeh24 Pajama Cardinal

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    well then, I guess he shall stay out of the tank lol

    thank you everybody! :)
     
  11. MyReef85

    MyReef85 Astrea Snail

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    that is a brittle star fish, i have one or two of them. goood part of the clean up crew..nice hitch hiker.
     
  12. reefmonkey

    reefmonkey Giant Squid

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    It's an asternia that has dropped legs. That is how they reproduce.