Crown‑of‑thorns Starfish

Acanthaster planci—the crown‑of‑thorns starfish (COTS)—is a major coral predator on Indo‑Pacific reefs(family Acanthasteridae). It bears numerous venomous spines and typically 12–20 arms.By everting the stomach it feeds on live tissues of scleractinian corals. At natural densities it can p...