Crown of thorns starfish
Acanthaster Planci
One of the most noticeable features of the crown-of-thorn starfish is their spines, which may be up to two inches long.
Acanthaster Planci
Despite their stiff appearance, crown-of-thorns starfish are surprisingly agile.
Acanthaster Planci
An increase in the number of crown of thorns has been attributed to the decimation of its chief predator, the Pacific triton, by shell collectors.
Tahitian names
Taramea
Interesting facts
Crown-of-thorns starfish are beautiful, prickly and devastating creatures that have caused mass destruction on some of the world's most beautiful coral reefs.
One of the most noticeable features of the crown-of-thorn starfish is their spines, which may be up to two inches long. These sea stars can be from 9 inches to up to 3 feet in diameter. They have 7-23 arms. These are colorful animals with a variety of palettes. Skin colors include brown, gray, green or purple up to 2 inches long. Spine colors may include red, yellow, blue and brown. Despite their stiff appearance, crown-of-thorns starfish are surprisingly agile.
An increase in the number of crown of thorns has been attributed to the decimation of its chief predator, a large marine snail, the Pacific triton (Charonia tritonis), by shell collectors.
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