This is a hotly debated subject. Reefers delving into whether the Asterina’s are of a type that will eat coral or not. It is agreed that the Asterina starfish is a great CUC, helping in maintaining the cleanliness of a reef tank. They manage to get into all the nooks and crannies because of their diminutive size. Once they have reached a point when you see them everywhere, they begin to diminish the aesthetic appeal of your aquarium. Let’s just say that your tank is no longer ‘instagramable’.
What divides opinion is the Asterina’s choice of diet. It is widely known that they are known to eat zoanthids, but hobbyists cannot agree if the zoa was already dying, or if it was a healthy specimen. There is also disagreement on what type of Asterina, or color of Asterina is more prone to eating coral. In my experience, the color does not matter. I have removed Asterina starfish from healthy zoa, and found them eaten through. I have also returned home one day to find an Asterina eating a OG Bounce Mushroom pup. I knocked it off, to discover the following morning that they had come back to finish the job!!