Two Baby Starfish!! How is this Possible?
 

I was feeding my fish this morning and noticed a tiny baby starfish on the glass and then another. How is this possible? I haven't had a starfish for at least a year. I read they can reproduce asexually but would it take that long for one to grow. They seem to be white with sort of a pink colour on its back. I love finding new things in my tank! Anyone else have baby starfish ever?

Leanne

Those are probably Asterina starfish. ie. harmless hitchhikers. They are in most reef tanks. I have dozens if not hundreds.

This is what Asterina's look like. Harmless in small numbers. Tonnes of tanks have them.

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ps6fc5a69c.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ps32fcf572.jpg

Unless you want 100's I'd remove the 2 in your tank now. Just an idea.

they don't hurt anything

Yes, that would be them. I gather they stay that small.

They do tend to stay that small so yours are likly not babies, if you can see them :-)

They hitchhike on just about anything that you bring into your tank.

They are supposedly a predator that will eat zoas and certain acros. I had them as well but a harlequinn shrimp munched them all away. I did not see any ill effects from them. There is more people that say they are good over those that say they are bad.:noidea:

small starfish
 

I started removing those after I saw them eating my coralline algea.

Amongst Asterina Stars you will find species that only eat algae, and species that will eat coral
I kept removing the ones I found in my sump, but they eventually found their way into my DT
Their numbers are growing, but I only ever see them on LR and the glass so I'm not worried about predation, and they probably help keep my LR clean (is what I keep telling myself)

If they leave your corals alone, you only need to decide whether or not you can live with large amounts of them as they multiply