Sand-sifting Starfish… Reproduction… Doubtful… Likely Asterinas   3/12/08
Dear WWM:
<Hi Suzanne, Mich here.>
First of all, thank you soooo much for the wealth of information that you provide. It has been invaluable to me.
<To me too! Is how I learned as well.>
My son-in-law got me started on saltwater fish and I have thoroughly enjoyed it.
<Congrats! Welcome to the club!>
I had a 30-gallon tank (have since graduated to 75 gal.) and in it I had a Sand-sifting Starfish among other things. The Star was about 3.5 inches in diameter and was so much fun as I watched him disappear in the sand and climb the sides of the aquarium.
<And decimated your sand bed?>
After about 8 months he started to look thin.
<Starfish generally starve to death in captivity, sand sifting included.>
I gave him to my son-in-law and it did better for several months and then wasted away and died.
<Starved.>
Not long after that he started noticing these tiny white specks in his tank - hundreds of them. As they grew, we realized that they were Starfish! Some had five arms, others had three or four (fish probably were munching on them). Now they are about 3/8 inch in diameter and it looks like someone poured a can of Campbell's Chicken and Stars soup in the tank!
<Just as likely to be Campbell’s as baby sand sifting stars.>
When the tank is dark they are all over the front and sides of the glass. It is incredible. What is more incredible is that there was only ONE Starfish to start with. How in the world did that Starfish reproduce??
<It didn't.>
I read all that you had on Starfish on your site and it talks about mating. There was no mate to mate with.
<I would be shocked if it wasn't an entirely different species, likely Asterina by the sounds of it.>
I took six home and put in my tank. When and if they get bigger I will give the surviving ones to our LFS and keep only one for my tank.
<Mmm, do they look like this?
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/asterinafaqs.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/asterinaidf.htm >
What are your thoughts on this phenomenon?
<I don't think it's a phenomenon.>
What is my son-in-law to do with all those starfish.
<Mmm, Harlequin shrimp? Just kidding. I don't recommend to anyone who is not seriously committed to keeping these beautiful shrimp that only eat live starfish. Please don't go buy one to combat your starfish issue.>
There are certainly not enough nutrients in his sand bed for all of them.
<Might be for Asterinas, they are generally self limiting.>
Should he wait and see how big they get assuming they may not survive for very long of get them out of the tank now? That will be no small chore!!
<Lets determine what is actually in the tank before crossing this bridge.>
Sincerely
Suzanne
<Any chance of getting a picture?
Cheers, Mich>

Sand-sifting Starfish… Reproduction… Doubtful… Likely Asterinas… Is Asterina   3/13/08
Dear Mich:
<Hi Suzanne!>
Thanks for your response.
<Welcome!>
I have four pictures for you.
<Excellent! Thanks for capturing some images.>
I would have liked to have gotten you a view when he (she? it?) was on the glass, but I haven't seem them on the glass in my tank in about a week.
<No worries.>
In fact I though they might have died.
<Not necessarily a bad thing per se. Some folks report some species of Asterina to be predatory on Zoanthids>
It looks exactly like a miniature sand-sifter to me and he moves very sloooow like one. I can see why you would question that. What do you think from the picture? I wasn't familiar with Asterinas.
<You have Asterina stars.>
Thanks,
Suzanne
<Welcome! Mich>