FAQs about Sea Star Identification
5
Related Articles: Sea
Stars, Brittle Stars,
Asterina Stars,
An Introduction to the
Echinoderms: The Sea Stars, Sea Urchins, Sea Cucumbers and
More... By James W. Fatherree, M.Sc.
Related FAQs: Sea
Star ID 1, Sea Star ID 2,
Sea Star ID 3, Sea Star ID 4, Seastar ID 6 & CC Star Identification,
Linckia Identification,
Sandsifting Star
ID, & Sea
Stars 1, Sea Stars 2, Sea Stars 3, Sea
Stars 4, Sea Stars 5, Brittle Stars, Seastar Selection, Seastar Compatibility, Seastar Systems, Seastar Behavior, Seastar Feeding, Seastar Reproduction, Seastar Disease, Asterina
Stars, Chocolate Chip Stars,
Crown of Thorns Stars,
Fromia Stars,
Linckia Stars, Linckia Stars 2, Sand-Sifting Stars,
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Starfish question -
10/07/2007 Just wanted to know how rare it was for a starfish in
the Florida Keys to have 6 legs? Thanks, Judy <Not all that rare.
Most starfish species have 5 arms, as you probably know, but many have
different numbers. The genus Solaster for example typically has 10
arms. Many starfish will sometimes develop fewer or more arms than
normal if injured in some way, or genetically different from the norm.
So while finding a specimen of a normally 5-armed species with 4 or 6
arms is quirky, it isn't all that unusual. Cheers,
Neale>
Who's That Star? (Starfish ID) 7/21/07 Hey
Scott... <Hello again!> Mich caught ya! Too funny! I'm
sure she'll forgive you, providing you do a lot of
apologizing!! <Yup...I can plead my case well..LOL> I was
thinking the same thing and putting her in the tank next
week....let's be PERFECTLY clear, I'm speaking of the
coral beauty, not Mich. <Yeah, Mich would be really aggressive
in such small quarters! Seriously, though, it sounds like
you're being very conservative and appropriate in with your
caution. I'm pretty confident that you'll have a great
outcome with this fish...Sure, nothing is 100%, but things sounds
pretty good here.> By the way, here is a pic of the mysterious
starfish in a QT, any idea what it is? I did a search on the web
and had no luck. Because it's more of an orange than a red I
didn't think it was a Fromia. It's doing very well, quite
active. <Well, Jennifer, I was so tempted to just say that it
is "an Orange Starfish", but that wouldn't be too
fun, huh? It does seem a lot like a Fromia...There are a few
colors, so that's not the most reliable indicator. Could also
be an Echinaster or Linckia species, but it's hard to be 100%
certain from the pic. I hope that you can locate a good
information source to get a positive ID. Nonetheless, if it's
doing well, that's a great sign! Good luck!> Thanks
again!! Jennifer <My pleasure! Regards, Scott F.>
Re: Starfish ID- Linckia, Fromia, Or...? -- 09/22/07
Hey Scott, <Hey there!> Mich in small quarters...you crack
me up! <And I scare myself sometimes, too! Yup, she might get
a bit testy if kept in a small space- I know that I would. I know
that Eric R. is capable of withstanding confinement just
fine...Ask him about our IMAC "road trip"!> I
believe the Coral Beauty is a go in a few days. <Good. I think
that the fish should be fine!> As for the Starfish, you gave
me a couple other ideas to search...I never thought Linckia. It
didn't look like one to me, but I'll check it out.
<Worth a shot. I'm pretty bad at Echinoderm ID
("Ummm, looks like a "red Starfish" to
me..."), but it is a possibility> What is the recommended
amount of time to QT a starfish? I know the normal time is 30
days, but since they are such sensitive critters and there is no
algae in the QT I didn't know if shortening the time would be
advisable. Thanks again Scott! Jennifer <I'm a big fan of
four full weeks...Shorten only if you are convinced of the
animal's great health and are running low on available food
in the quarantine system. A full month is a great habit to
develop; one which will dramatically increase your success in the
hobby, as you have experienced! Good luck! Regards, Scott
F.>
Re: Starfish ID- Linckia, Fromia, Or...? MichL --
09/22/07 Hey Scott, <Hey there!> Mich in small
quarters...you crack me up! <And I scare myself sometimes,
too! <<Heehee! And others as well! ;) Mich>> Yup, she
might get a bit testy if kept in a small space- <<I
distinctly remember two rather cramped field trips at IMAC, one
the likes of "...yes sir mister officer" and I
don't recall being testy, perhaps a bit giggly and goofy, but
not testy. I'm generally not ornery! Mich>> I know that
I would. <<As I recall Scott, you were pretty cramped too,
but I don't remember you complaining about that either!
Mich>> I know that Eric R. is capable of withstanding
confinement just fine...Ask him about our IMAC "road
trip"!> <<He definitely had the worst of it! Poor
Eric, he was a pretzel, we love ya Eric, twisted or not...
Perhaps twisted is more fun though! Heehee! Mich>> I
believe the Coral Beauty is a go in a few days. <Good. I think
that the fish should be fine!> As for the Starfish, you gave
me a couple other ideas to search...I never thought Linckia. It
didn't look like one to me, but I'll check it out.
<Worth a shot. I'm pretty bad at Echinoderm ID
("Ummm, looks like a "red Starfish" to
me..."), <<Heehee! Very helpful there Scottie!
Mich>> but it is a possibility> What is the recommended
amount of time to QT a starfish? I know the normal time is 30
days, but since they are such sensitive critters and there is no
algae in the QT I didn't know if shortening the time would be
advisable. Thanks again Scott! Jennifer <I'm a big fan of
four full weeks...Shorten only if you are convinced of the
animal's great health and are running low on available food
in the quarantine system. A full month is a great habit to
develop; one which will dramatically increase your success in the
hobby, as you have experienced! Good luck! Regards, Scott
F.>
Starfish ID- Mystery Solved! -- 09/23/07 Dear Mr.
Fellman, <Yikes! So formal- just "Scott" is fine!
> Just wanted to let you know that you sell yourself a little
short. Your guess of an Orange Starfish, an Echinaster, was
correct. It's technical name is a Echinaster spinulosus. This
link is a great resource for echinoderm id.
http://oceanica.cofc.edu/TRCH-Echinos/web_Seastars/page05.htm He
seems to being doing just great so far...he's an active
little bugger. We'll wait the usual 30 days in QT. Thanks for
putting my mind at ease so I can sleep at night!! Jennifer
<Well, as my friend Anthony Calfo is fond of saying,
"Even a blind squirrel finds a nut sometimes!" In all
seriousness, I'm glad that you made a positive ID on the
specimen. Thank you very much for sharing the link that you found
with our readers! Best of luck and enjoy your new friend!
Regards, Scott F.>
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Tiny white starfish on my glass? Yes, An Asterina
Star -- 09/08/07 Hi, <Hi Mandy, Mich here.> I've read
about the tiny brownish Starfish with the shorter two legs that
eats corals, but mine is white. Can you tell me is it safe to keep?
<In my opinion, yes.> I only have one so far as I can tell.
<You likely have more.> I just saw it tonight when I turned
off the lights and the moonlights were the only lights on. It is
very, very tiny. About 1/4 of an inch? Here is a picture of it, up
close and from a distance so you can get perspective. Little black
sand snail on top, and Turbo below. It appears to be a fuzzy
starfish? Next picture is a close up, it was hard because the
camera got it blurry most of the time. But it appears to have fuzzy
legs and then tentacles at the ends of its legs? I can certainly
see its mouth! Thanks for any help identifying it. I'd hate to
have to kill it! But I don't want it to eat my only coral
either! <Is an Asterina Star. You can see similar photos here
and read a little more about these little guys:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/asterinafaqs.htm Mandy <Mandy I
noticed your NJ area code. I was hoping I might encourage you to
come out to The 2007 Fall Frag Swap & Symposium, Saturday
October 27, 2007, 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM at the Crowne Plaza, 390
Forsgate Drive Jamesburg, NJ 08831, sponsored by the NJ Reefers
Club. WWM's Scott Fellman will be one of the featured speakers.
More info here:
http://www.njreefers.org/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=44&Itemid=1
> |
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Starfish ID? 8/16/07 Greetings crew, <David>
Hope all is well. I need your help to ID the starfish in the
attached picture. Are they reef-safe? Any special needs to keep
them? Thanks for your time. David Guzman <Don't see this
in my usual "pet-fish" and dive ref.s... Can you tell
me/us about where these hail from? Any clues as in common names?
Bob Fenner>
Re: Starfish ID? 8/16/07 I found them on some bay
flats on the gulf side of florida. I've also seen them on
oyster beds. <Is/are these off-colored Echinaster spinulosus?
Did you collect them? Are they more orange colored in the sea?
Bob Fenner>
Re: Starfish ID? -- 08/17/07 Yeah, they are
very much more orange in the sea! How did you know? What is the
color change due to? <Mmm, stress in a word... change in
environment, nutrition> I collected them, photographed them,
and acclimated them into my tanks. I've watched them crawl
all over Asterinas and polyps and not be interested in a single
bite (so far). Any advice on them? <To keep your eye on
them... Likely largely detritivorous as nutrition types... but
might die suddenly, pollute your system> Thanks for your
help.
David
<Welcome. BobF>
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Starfish identification... Asterina --
06/14/07 Gentlemen, <A lady with you today.> I was hoping
that you can help me identify this particular starfish and whether
they are safe to have in my reef tank. <You have an Asterina
Star. Some say these stars can be deleterious to zoanthids, but I
have never observed this with zoanthids and these stars in my
system. More here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/asterinafaqs.htm >
I currently have 4 of them. <Hee! That you see!> Thanks.
<Welcome!> I really appreciate all that you guys and gals do
for this hobby. It has helped me keep my 75 gallon reef perfect.
Thank you!! <Wonderful to hear! Mich> |
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Starfish ID...Linckia multifora, the Comet Star
-- 05/16/07 Hi Bob, <<Tis Eric with you today...>>
I inherited a starfish on a coral for my reef tank.
<<Neat>> Only suspected it was a star as it didn't
show much of itself (1st pic). <<Mmm, indeed...not exactly
'starfish' looking from this angle>> I moved the
coral yesterday and got the full pic - slightly out of focus!
<<...but more telling>> It seems to just take up
residence under a coral and not move apart from sticking a leg
out. Wondered if you had any idea what kind it might be,
as I know there are some coral eaters. <<Not the issue
here...at least not a threat to other than 'emergent'
organisms...though no more than the snails and less than the hermit
crabs in your tank. This looks to be a Comet Star, a
Linckia species...L. multifora. Not as brightly colored
as those most often seen/photographed, but as far as I can tell
from the photo the morphology and markings are definitely
representative of the species. As with others of this
genus, it will require 'lots' of live rock upon which to
graze/browse for food>> Thanks, Linda Cassidy <<Quite
welcome. Eric Russell>> |
Re: Starfish ID...Linckia Multifora, the Comet
Star - 05/16/07 Thank you so much! <<Very welcome>>
I will now treasure it instead of fearing it. Linda <<Ha,
Indeed! Do enjoy your new found
friend. EricR>> |
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Sea Star Help...but
what kind? 4/26/07 Hello, <Hi.> I'll start off with
some specs: <Okay.> 29 Gallon FOWLR <A bit cramped for most
sea-stars.> 30lbs Live rock My levels are: Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0 Nitrate: 10 ppm <Needs to be lower.> S. Gravity: 1.022
<Needs to be higher for invertebrate life...1.024 at least.> pH:
8.2 I purchased a red sea star from LiveAquaria.com the other day and
received it yesterday. <What species?> After about an hour of
drip acclimating it, I finally decided it was ready to be
put into the tank. <No quarantine?.. and I prefer to
acclimate seastars longer, they are very sensitive to differences in
water quality.> Everything seemed well, but when I woke up this
morning it looks as if all its insides have come out. <Not good.>
I looked up the articles on starfish but I really didn't know what
to search for with this. It is still alive and moving, but
why has everything "fallen" out of it? <Hard
to say without knowing what species this is...> Its only tankmates
are a Percula Clown and a Serpent Sea Star which hasn't even come
near it as far as I can see, it tends to stay in its cave at the
complete opposite side of the tank. Is this normal? <See
above comment^^.> I'm rather new to the hobby and my tank is
only about 6 months old, but it doesn't seem like
something that would be normal for anything, to have its guts fall
out. <Good be a reaction to the shift in water quality;
I would like to give you a more detailed answer but first shoot me a
response with the species (Latin/scientific...if you have it) name.
Should be on the LiveAquaria site or on your invoice.> Thank you,
Brittani
<Adam J.>
Batik Star? 4/22/07 Dear Crew, I
just came back from the LFS with my new star. I never
bought anything for the tank without my husband's guidance, but
I was swayed into buying it for it's beautiful color and
pattern. The LFS owner told me it would scavenge and
would be OK in my FOWLR tank. My tank is 210
gal. I came home and Googled batik starfish and came up
with nothing. <Me neither... nor have I heard this common name
before...> The picture I've attached is in the
bucket where it's being acclimated. <Oh! Is a Fromia...
Please see here: http://wetwebmedia.com/seastars.htm And a comment... I
would not acclimate the Anemone with these others> It will then
go into a small quarantine tank for several weeks
(alone). Since it will have nothing to scavenge, any
ideas for diet? <See the Net/WWM re the genus> Any ideas what
kind of star this is? It's smooth, not knobby and
under the lights in the store it was pink with brown; in natural
light it's more peach with brown. The tank where it
was kept in the store (since last Thurs) had coral frags, another
star and some Tridacna clams so I assume this star won't be a
holy terror in our tank. Thanks for any help you can
give me. Also, I promise I won't buy anything else
without knowing exactly what it is:) Kris <I strongly encourage
you to investigate before buying... dangerous to approach stocking
in any other way. Bob Fenner> |
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