A single crown-of-thorns starfish is impressive. This unusually large, sinister-looking sea star grows to 3 feet in diameter with as many as 19 spiny arms. It’s hard to miss on the reef, where it ...

Crown-of-thorns starfish can detect chemical cues in water (chemoreception), allowing them to respond to predators like the giant triton. The giant triton is one of the few natural predators of the ...

A crown-of-thorns starfish feasts on a plate coral on the Great Barrier Reef. Credit: Australian Institute of Marine Science A new study by researchers from the University of Sydney provides new ...

Research into one of the most persistent coral predators on the Great Barrier Reef has revealed a troubling paradox in reef ecosystems: the crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) appears to thrive in the ...

Scientists are one step closer to combating coral-destroying crown-of-thorns starfish, following a study into the pest's genetics. Scientists are one step closer to combating coral-destroying crown-of ...

Life cycle of coral with crown-of-thorns starfish. Beginning with healthy coral, heatwave events induce coral bleaching, causing coral death and algal colonisation. Corals then collapse and create ...

A major outbreak of coral-eating starfish has been found munching Australia's world heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef, scientists said on Friday, prompting the government to begin culling the spiky ...

The crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS, Acanthaster spp.) is one of the principal biotic agents driving coral decline across the Indo-Pacific. Characterised by episodic ‘outbreaks’, dense aggregations of ...

Few creatures are more aptly named. The crown-of-thorns, a large, reddish brown sea dweller, has as many as 21 arms, all covered with venomous spines that can temporarily paralyze a swimmer and ...

Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) La Paz, Mexico© Jesus Cobaleda/Shutterstock.com If you’re able, watch this video. If not, allow me to explain. Two crown-of-thorns starfish are placed in ...

Research conducted by marine biologists from the University of Sydney has found juvenile crown-of-thorns starfish can withstand tremendous heat waves well above levels that kill coral. These starfish ...

The crown-of-thorns starfish is nature's ultimate coral predator that has a circle of life perfectly adapted to warming waters. Research conducted by marine biologists from the University of Sydney ...