# Identify this Starfish!!!!!!



## cossie (Dec 19, 2010)

also yesterday me and my dad added one final bit of live rock in the middle and about 4 hours later we noticed a large THING stuck to the glass of the tank. It took about 5 seconds to realise it was a starfish but my question is "What species of starfish is it and how long will it live???????"


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

I'm not even sure that there even IS a common name for this common star, but most of my buddies call it a Seven-armed Sandstar. They always have seven arms, you see. I've also heard Button Star. They last for years, no problem, as long as you have good live sand for them to sift through, even though they often crawl around out of the sand grazing on whatever slime and detritus they can find. Almost any tank with Gulf of Mexico rock in it will have some of these in it, and so far they seem to be harmless.
I think I saw these in a book once with it's scientific name, but I have so many books that it would take me awhile to find it.


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## cossie (Dec 19, 2010)

oh great thats good thanks for that TOS 

just one thing i dont have sand i have like a mixture if subtrate like shells rock etc...


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## e048 (Dec 23, 2010)

I know this comment won;'t help but did that last picture involve you putting a camera in your tank?


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## cossie (Dec 19, 2010)

no i took it htrough glass


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## kay-bee (Dec 6, 2006)

It's a type of asterina star. I've got a bunch of them in my tank (they're capable of reproducing in the tank and are fairly hardy hitch hikers).

Most of them are misshapen or assymetric with the quantity and size of limbs being highly variable. 

They're largely film-algae grazers (however some species however can feed on SPS coral tissue).


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## cossie (Dec 19, 2010)

ok thanks how big do they grow???


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## hXcChic22 (Dec 26, 2009)

That is an adorable little guy. 

Sorry, just had to say it


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

they get about a dime or nickle in size at the biggest


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