what is this..starfish?
- Thread starter hammcd
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Asterina star
should i get rid of it...i do have zoas...if i have one do i hvae more than one?
Edit: ah well, i got rid of it...i did notice some zoas missing recently...do you think i am infested now that ive seen one of them...is there anything that gets rid of them?
Edit: ah well, i got rid of it...i did notice some zoas missing recently...do you think i am infested now that ive seen one of them...is there anything that gets rid of them?
Unless it has red on its back, it's harmless. Some consider them a mild nuisance (and the ones with red do eat corals so they *are* a nuisance). I think that one is one of the harmless kind, based on the picture.
If you have zoas missing, check your colonies for Sundial Snails or nudibranchs.
Jenn
If you have zoas missing, check your colonies for Sundial Snails or nudibranchs.
Jenn
i removed it because i wasnt sure and didnt want to miss the chance since i actually had eyes on it at the time...yeah ive had a couple zoa colonys there all of a sudden the zoas were missing ...ive tried to locate any type of predator but dont see any...its basically just 2 of the colonies..the others are doing great...the 2 are on their own seperate plugs and i wouldnt think itd be that hard to find predators on them...im almost positive that i dont have sundials but im not sure what to look for as far as nudibrances are concerned...i know what they look like but how big are they?...do they come out at night only?...in the day?
Well they blend in pretty well, so it's not easy to see them.
Just a theory. Were the missing zoas whole colonies, or just frags? Not all frags survive, and tiny frags can be more fragile.
Usually a predator of any kind will cut a path through the colony - literally eat their way through.
Jenn
Just a theory. Were the missing zoas whole colonies, or just frags? Not all frags survive, and tiny frags can be more fragile.
Usually a predator of any kind will cut a path through the colony - literally eat their way through.
Jenn
UhOh,
I disagree with Jenn....
Asterinas are not different kinds if they have different colors - all the same species.
Same as people with blond or black hair - same species, different look.
So judging by color wont help...
I do agree though, some have a taste for zoas and some dont...
You can disagree if you wish. I'll let you be wrong once in a while
If you happen to have Julian Sprung's Invertebrates: A Quick Reference Guide, page 201:
The book shows some that have blue, black and red on their backs, feeding on what looks like what's left of a Goniopora sp.. And the two other pictures show the whitish ones, some feeding on algae on the glass, and one "large" one at 1/2" across.
In my experience, I would not trust the ones that get that large. The small tan/whitish ones that you see on the glass are harmless.
It's the ones with colours that are usually destructive.
Jenn
If you happen to have Julian Sprung's Invertebrates: A Quick Reference Guide, page 201:
The book shows some that have blue, black and red on their backs, feeding on what looks like what's left of a Goniopora sp.. And the two other pictures show the whitish ones, some feeding on algae on the glass, and one "large" one at 1/2" across.
In my experience, I would not trust the ones that get that large. The small tan/whitish ones that you see on the glass are harmless.
It's the ones with colours that are usually destructive.
Jenn
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got a couple of those guys myself. ive only seen them a few times..
