Starfish ID please

[krystalstarr]

3 questions.

1Bought a starfish but forgot to ask what kind it is. Anyone know the name of this star?

2 She is always on glass or back of tank and never on the rock. (Except for when I took this photo obviously this was first time she ever stayed on rock and did not stay long)
Is this normal?

3. No clue if she is eating or not. They told me it will just eat leftover food in it own and not to worry about feeding it. This true?

Also white spot was there when I got it and assumed it was part of natural pattern?

 

[KING KONG]

3 questions.

1Bought a starfish but forgot to ask what kind it is. Anyone know the name of this star?

2 She is always on glass or back of tank and never on the rock. (Except for when I took this photo obviously this was first time she ever stayed on rock and did not stay long)
Is this normal?

3. No clue if she is eating or not. They told me it will just eat leftover food in it own and not to worry about feeding it. This true?

Also white spot was there when I got it and assumed it was part of natural pattern?

View attachment 2969017

Not sure about I'd just don't want to leave this unanswered. As you hv said lfs told u not to feed but most starfish want meaty foods,decent size pieces of clams, fish, table shrimp. Most of them die in tanks from starvation. Still look what others say.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Possibly a color variant of Fromia monilis...if I'm right, i can assure you they don't feed simply on leftover food. In the wild the consume biofilm on live rock and the constituents of this biofilm which are most important for nutrition aren't completely known tbh.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

3 questions.

1Bought a starfish but forgot to ask what kind it is. Anyone know the name of this star?

2 She is always on glass or back of tank and never on the rock. (Except for when I took this photo obviously this was first time she ever stayed on rock and did not stay long)
Is this normal?

3. No clue if she is eating or not. They told me it will just eat leftover food in it own and not to worry about feeding it. This true?

Also white spot was there when I got it and assumed it was part of natural pattern?

View attachment 2969017

It's definitely a Neoferdina sp., probably Neoferdina insolita. The store you got it from would probably have it labeled as Neoferdina cumingi. The white spot is part of the natural pattern, yes.

Unfortunately, these guys are still thought to be biofilm eaters, so while they will likely scavenge around your tank, it'll probably die within 6-13 months. You can try supplementing it with things like clams and algae pellets (which supposedly N. cumingi will take on occasion), but it likely won't meet their nutritional needs.

Personally, to try and keep it alive, I'd suggest purposefully farming Aquilonastra starfish (Asterina stars), as I've heard of some people having anecdotal, moderately long term success with biofilm eating stars (like Linckia stars) while their Aquilonastra population lasts (the biofilm eating stars typically consume Aquilonastra stars, presumably for the biofilm either inside or outside of the Aquilonastra stars' bodies). I don't know if this would help, but it's the best suggestion I've got so far for biofilm eaters.