The crown of thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci), for example, is reported to have up to 21 arms. Likewise, sunstars—starfish aptly named for their resemblance to the sun—have about 12 arms.

Acanthaster planci is the principle natural enemy of reef-building corals. Outbreaks of this coral-feeding starfish occur periodically, due to reasons that remain unclear. It decimates entire ...

DNA-based identification of predators of the corallivorous Crown-of-Thorns Starfish (Acanthaster cf. solaris) from fish faeces and gut contents. Scientific Reports , 2020; 10 (1) DOI: 10.1038 ...

F.J. Kroon et al. DNA-based identification of predators of the corallivorous crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster cf. solaris) from fish faeces and gut contents. Scientific Reports. Vol. 10 (8184 ...

Crown-of-thorns starfish, ... The control temperature was 27°C, the maximum mean summer sea surface temperature to which Acanthaster sea stars are exposed in the southern Great Barrier Reef.

The young of a coral-destroying starfish seem to eat more in water that has a lower pH. The finding highlights another way climate change, which causes ocean acidification, threatens coral reefs ...

The research compared starfish outbreaks in no-take reefs to those with no restrictions. Information was gathered following the initial zoning in 1989 of no-take areas on the reef, when 4.5% of ...

Their mission: To dive for invasive taramea (crown-of-thorns starfish, Acanthaster planci). Adult taramea span 25-35 centimeters (10-14 inches) and are densely encrusted with sharp, venomous thorns.

Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) are native to reefs in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, but are one of the largest threats to corals outside of cyclones.