Need help to identify some creatures

[svs]

Hi everybody
I got many pictures after recent Florida trip. I was able to identify most but two. FL16 contain not very clear image of a creature hugging piece of sponge. It has to be a relative of sea star. Its tentacles can slowly move around and attaches to other surfaces. Each tentacle split several times. I couldn’t find any central part of this animal.
FL117 some kind of polyp/anemone?

 

[justleesa]

the second picture looks like colonial cup coral to me

 

[DennisW]

The first pic looks like a Basket Starfish. The second looks like some kind of anemone to me as well.

 

[Walter]

Hard to tell from those photos.

 

[svs]

I looked at other pictures of Basket Starfish. It is definitely it. Thank you.

 

[svs]

"Colonial cup coral" also looks about right.
Again, thanks everybody

 

[justleesa]

here is a link to cup corals

http://www.seaworld.org/wild-world/safari/virtual-aquarium/cup-coral.htm

 

[archman]

Crud, I didn't know that stuff was in Florida yet. Somebody kill it.

 

[justleesa]

cup corals are bad?

 

[D_O_H]

cup corals are bad?

I'll venture a guess that he was talking about the basket stars. Don't they munch coral?