Is that a starfish???

Hi guys, i got home today and this is what i found to the side of my orange linckia. It looks like a mini starfish. I have never seen this in my tank.
Besides the linckia i also have a sand sifting and this one looks like a mini version of the sand sifting.
Can someone tell me what it is and if its good or not to have them.
Thank youu

 

Looks to be an astrea star. Some people like them and some consider them to be a nuisance because their populations can really take off. It probably came in as a hitchhiker when you added something to the tank.

 

Sure is. I have had them explode in a tank before and then two months later they were gone. I never had any problems with them though. They will scratch acrylic tanks if they get in between the mag float and the acrylic.

 

+1 base of my cuc in my tank. like similar organisms their population will reach a balance with the food readily available to them.

 

Thank you guys.

 

The correct name for the critter is Asterina star. Astrea is a species of snail.

 

I normally toss them in the garbage if i see them. They arent pretty.

 

Just watch your Zoanthids of you have any. Typically the common hitch-hikers are harmless, but occasionally you'll get one that takes a liking to Zoanthids.

@tturbolife1 tisk tisk. I think they're cool hitch-hikers.

 

Oops guilty by association...

 

Ahh forgot to mention, there are documented(with images and all) cases of Linkia's eating Asterina.