small white almost starfish looking thing?

[redskins]

i have had my tank for almost 2 years i just notced something on my glass it almost looks like a starfish ,its all white and appears to have those tiny legs like a starfish but isnt very symmetrical..any one have any ideas of what this could be?

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Maybe an Asterina star?

 

[exhumed07]

i agree with caps. I had them in mine. some only had 2 legs, some had 3, some had 6. from my understnading they will divide much like cells and bacteria.

 

[redskins]

thanks i think you guys are right,,i only seen one of these,,will they multiply?and are they dangerous for my tank?

 

[Newman]

no asterina stars should not be too dangerous but some species do eat zoas and soft corals. they multiply but not very fast. They come in white with orange dots, gray, brownish, bright orange, all red (rare), and maybe some other colors.

I'd say leave em be unless you have a single polyp frag of some valuable zoa. i remember once a few asterinas ate a good looking 3 polyp frag of one of my zoas. i was a little annoyed but w/e. I had thousands of other zoas.

 

[KcMopar]

A Harlequin shrimp will eat them, they tend to eat zoas as stated.