The crown-of-thorns starfish is a large starfish that preys upon hard, or stony coral polyps. It is the world’s second largest starfish and grows up to the size of one meter. It has venomous thorn-like spines that cover its upper surface, resembling the biblical crown of thorns, and that is how it got its name.
The crown-of-thorns starfish is a well-known coral predator. It eats coral prey by extruding the stomach out from its body, covering the corals. An individual starfish can consume up to 6 square metres of living coral reef per year. Its spines are somewhat flexible; they are used for locomotion and for defence from potential predators.
The crown-of-thorns starfish are an important part of the ecosystem in normal numbers on healthy coral reefs. If more than 30 crown-of-thorns starfish are found in a hectare, it is called an outbreak. Outbreaks have been known to cause serious harm to coral reefs in some areas.
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