Photo: © Anne Hoggett · Image source ·CC BY 3.0
Animal profile · Other aquatic life · sea star
Crown-of-thorns starfish
Acanthaster planci
The crown-of-thorns starfish is a large tropical sea star covered in venomous spines. It feeds on living coral tissue and can strongly affect reef communities during population outbreaks.
Not a fish · an aquatic neighborWater
Saltwater
Tropical coral reefs and associated rocky seabeds.
Temperature
Range not established
A dependable species-specific wild temperature range was not established from the reviewed sources.
Size
Usually about 25–35 cm (10–14 in) across
About the width of a large dinner plate.
Lifespan
Not established in the wild
Life expectancy varies with place, conditions, and what scientists have been able to observe.
01 · Signature adaptation
What does it do?
It moves across reefs mostly at night or under cover. Its long sharp spines deter many predators and can inject venom when touched.
02 · Home coordinates
Where does it live?
Tropical Indo-Pacific coral reefs from the Red Sea and Indian Ocean to the central Pacific.
Regions: Red Sea · Indian Ocean · western Pacific · central Pacific
03 · The menu
What does it eat?
It crawls over coral colonies, everts its stomach, and absorbs digested coral tissue.
Corallivore: hard coral polyps.
04 · Remember this
Two wow facts
Coral-eating star
It is one of the major predators of reef-building corals.
Sources [1]
Venomous armor
Its crown-like covering of spines helps defend it from predators and can cause painful injuries.
Sources [1]