Starfish ID (species level please)

[livinlifeinBKK]

Ok, so I'm 99.99999% certain this is a Fromia species and possibly a Fromia indica just without the black tips on each arm but am not completely sure and need to know at the species level (please at least have reasons to back up your species claim not just a random guess because I'm pretty well versed in stars similar to this, particularly Fromias)...the shop owner claims it's from Thailand (almost certainly the Gulf) and I believe him on that but can't quite nail down the species with a simple Google search partly because Google just pulls from every internet source, many of which are clearly incorrect but primarily because of phylogenetic plasticity in organisms like these...I was thinking Fromia indica without the black tips on each arm or possibly a Fromia pacifica without pronounced yellow tips on each arm because it seems to have a fair amount of yellow pigment on the bottom of the arms when turned upside down. The lighting makes him look more red than he looks in person. You'd definitely agree he's orange if you could see him in the shop. Any other ideas?

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Hard to tell for sure, but I can’t see any heavy patterning on it, so - assuming it is from Thailand - I’d guess Fromia milleporella. If so, it may have a number of tiny black dots on it.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Hard to tell for sure, but I can’t see any heavy patterning on it, so - assuming it is from Thailand - I’d guess Fromia milleporella. If so, it may have a number of tiny black dots on it.

I didn't notice any black dots but maybe I just didn't look close enough. It has the same body as my Fromia indica just not the black tips and a little more yellow on the bottom

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

He looked healthy and since he's obviously a Fromia I might grab him tomorrow...nice guy who owns the shop but he doesn't maintain it very well at all.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

No matter what species he is, he's pretty cool looking and less than $10...

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

These guys I saw today are pretty awesome and I think they're Fromias as well but the guy needs to learn simply because they come from Australia doesn't justify an outrageous price tag...I'll get the other Fromia above...

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

Idk if I have much info on stars but ill.look through my books of sw critters tonight when I get home for stars.
D

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Idk if I have much info on stars but ill.look through my books of sw critters tonight when I get home for stars.
D

I'd appreciate it! I really wanna know the species level. So little info is out there about Fromias Google really wasn't even a whole lot of help!

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

I'm gonna say fromia elegans
Echinaster luzonicus possibly is your.profile pic
Those last ones are a type of bat star or biscuit star.

I live around a lot of cold saltwater and stars are pretty common here. Little buggers. Lol. Kool animals.
D

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

I'm gonna say fromia elegans
Echinaster luzonicus possibly is your.profile pic
Those last ones are a type of bat star or biscuit star.

I live around a lot of cold saltwater and stars are pretty common here. Little buggers. Lol. Kool animals.
D

They are awesome! My profile pic is a Fromia indica though! Pretty certain about that one haha

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

These 4 books seemed to be the most helpful in IDing. One.of em I actually read for about 20mins on echnioderms.lol. or something. Lol. Think it's just the basic phylum it was covering basics about stars.
I took zoology in high school. Lol. Didn't go to much school though.
D

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

Turns out I did have some on inverts
D

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

On the biscuit stars it flat out says they don't really know what they eat. Lol.
D

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Turns out I did have some on inverts
D

If you wanna get deep into stars read Echinoderm Nutrition!

 

[AydenLincoln]

These guys I saw today are pretty awesome and I think they're Fromias as well but the guy needs to learn simply because they come from Australia doesn't justify an outrageous price tag...I'll get the other Fromia above...

They aren’t fromias! They are Australian Biscuit Starfish/Pentagonaster dubeni! Similar to my starfish.

 

[AydenLincoln]

On the biscuit stars it flat out says they don't really know what they eat. Lol.
D

That particular type eats algae, detritus, and sponges. In the wild they are omnivores. https://www.derwentestuary.org.au/species/biscuit-star/

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

That particular type eats algae, detritus, and sponges. In the wild they are omnivores. https://www.derwentestuary.org.au/species/biscuit-star/

You may be correct about the species bit didn't you just edit this from saying they just eat algae? Either way saying they're omnivores gives pretty much 0 information and honestly they probably wrote that because they're really not sure but they know they're definitely not only carnivores and definitely not only herbivorous. Kinda misleading....

 

[AydenLincoln]

You may be correct about the species bit didn't you just edit this from saying they just eat algae? Either way saying they're omnivores gives pretty much 0 information and honestly they probably wrote that because they're really not sure but they know they're definitely not only carnivores and definitely not only herbivorous. Kinda misleading....

Well that’s mine and this one too and it’s because it does eat algae. It is a biscuit starfish. And no it isn’t. Because biscuits are species that not a lot is known about but I can tell you that like chocolate chips they eat algae and are just herbivores in the wild or do have specific diets. And I edited it because I wanted to add the link.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

The only thing I can find on the feeding of these guys is that they eat encrusting invertebrates: sponges, ascidians (tunicates), and bryozoans are specifically mentioned.

Pentagonaster duebeni Gray, 1847, Vermillion Seastar

Vermillion Sea Stars feed on encrusting invertebrates and sponges. Though it is quite commonly seen, and often photographed, almost nothing else is known about this species.

collections.museumsvictoria.com.au

Pentagonaster duebeni (Gray, 1847)

www.surg.org.au

Pentagonaster duebeni Fire-brick Star

Pentagonaster duebeni is commonly referred to as Fire-brick Star. Difficulty in the aquarium: There are no reports available yet that this animal has already been kept in captivity successfully. Toxicity: Toxic hazard unknown.

www.reeflex.net

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Well that’s mine and this one too and it’s because it does eat algae. It is a biscuit starfish. It is a herbivore though. And no it isn’t. Because biscuits are species that not a lot is known about but I can tell you that like chocolate chips they eat algae.

"Biscuit" is not even an official classification for one thing...and with the link you chose it certainly did seem misleading