Need to id this starfish or slug

[Frenchfrog]

I think I will need your help with these new neighbors.

I call Google and have a beer while searching but I can't find what kind of starfish or slug it is.

I only have one guy here because the other one was too shy for a photo shoot. Also these 2 pictures are the best I can take due to the size

Thanks for helping me

 

[bradleym]

That would be an asterina starfish.

 

[Gtinnel]

That would be an asterina starfish.

This ^^^^

 

[damsels are not mean]

That is an interesting asterina mine are mostly brown and rocky textured they often blend right in with LR and frag plugs

 

[MaxTremors]

Commonly referred to as ‘asterina’ stars but not actually in the asterina genus. They are actually Aquilonastra, they are harmless detritivores. Some people swear up and down that some eat corals, but in 20+ years I’ve never seen it and no one has ever been able to produce evidence (which you would think would be fairly easy considering how common they are). I’ve had them (probably 4-5 different species) in every reef tank I’ve ever owned and I’ve never seen them or even suspected them of eating corals. They can explode in population if you overfeed or have high nutrients (nuisance algae).

 

[damsels are not mean]

Commonly referred to as ‘asterina’ stars but not actually in the asterina genus. They are actually Aquilonastra, they are harmless detritivores. Some people swear up and down that some eat corals, but in 20+ years I’ve never seen it and no one has ever been able to produce evidence (which you would think would be fairly easy considering how common they are).

I'm willing to bet somebody's coral died or receded, then biofilm grew on the skeleton and the stars grazed. They come home to their coral losing tissue and the stars "eating" it. This happens with lots of things that hitchhike.

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

No they are a pest. They do multiply and I've had them sit on zoas in the past.
Hths
D

 

[minus9]

Aquilonastra will often be found grazing algae, even film algae that can grow on certain zoathus, palythoa and corals like leathers. I’ve never witnessed them consuming coral, but that’s not to say there aren’t species that so. In the days of live rock, we would have a host of mysterious hitchhikers, but today most of those travelers have gone away.

 

[Frenchfrog]

Wow you folks are so fast. I thank everyone for your answer!

 

[damsels are not mean]

No they are a pest. They do multiply and I've had them sit on zoas in the past.
Hths
D

how many polyps did they eat?