baby starfish? something else? Unearthed after cleaning today

[RockyMountainReef]

[LazyFish]

Asterina starfish. Most concider reef safe but I've found when they get too numerous or not enough to eat may consume zoas.

[RockyMountainReef]

Shouldn’t be too bad then, yeah? First one I’ve noticed. Reading they can be signs of good health in my tank, just need to watch them like any other pest?

[Tired]

Adult starfish. The starfish referred to in the hobby as "asterinas" include a number of species, most of which are harmless unless starved. A few of them do eat corals, but, unless you see damage to your corals, it's safe to assume that these are harmless. 

 

You'll notice that they often look asymmetrical. They multiply partially by splitting. I've got two in my invert quarantine tank now, both looking like triangles because they're from a single one splitting in half. 

[dpachecop]

Asterina starfish

[spazizz]

IME they only eat dying/unhealthy coral tissue. If they get to big in numbers it's easy enough to net them off them glass at night. I just removed 50-75 of them in two minutes.

[SF Reef]

Definitely asterinas, I wouldn't worry about them. Agreed I have never had a problem with them and corals. If they do ever become an issue, harlequin shrimp can wipe out a tank full in a week or two, but would need supplemental feeding or rehoming after.