Crown of Thorns Starfish - World's Top Informations

Acanthaster planci, commonly known as the crown-of-thorns starfish, is a large, multiple-armed starfish (or seastar) that usually preys upon hard, or stony, coral polyps (Scleractinia). The crown-of-thorns receives its name from venomous thorn-like spines that cover its upper surface or the crown of thorns. It is one of the largest sea stars in the world, the largest being probably the sunflower seastar (Pycnopodia helianthoides).
A. planci has a very wide Indo-Pacific distribution. It occurs at tropical and subtropical latitudes from the Red Sea and the east African coast across the Pacific Ocean, across the Indian Ocean to the west coast of Central America. It occurs where coral reefs or hard coral communities occur in this region.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION:

The body form of the crown-of-thorns starfish is fundamentally the same as that of a typical starfish. Its special traits, however, include being disc-shaped, multiple-armed, flexible, prehensile and heavily spined, and having a large ratio of stomach surface to body mass.Its prehensile ability arises from the two rows of numerous tube feet that extend to the tip of each arm. In being multiple-armed, it has lost the five-fold symmetry (pentamerism) typical of starfish, although it begins with this symmetry in its life cycle.
Adult crown-of-thorns starfish normally range in size from 25 to 35 cm (9.8 to 13.8 in).They have up to 21 arms.They are usually of subdued colours, pale brown to grey-green, but they may be garish with bright warning colours in some parts of their wide range.

The long, sharp spines on the sides of the starfish's arms and upper (aboral) surface resemble thorns and create a crown-like shape, giving the creature its name. The spines are stiff and very sharp, and readily pierce through soft surfaces. Despite the battery of sharp spines on the aboral surface and blunt spines on the oral surface, the crown-of-thorns starfish's general body surface is membranous and soft. When the starfish is removed from the water, the body surface ruptures and the body fluid leaks out, so the body collapses and flattens. The spines bend over and flatten as well. They recover their shape when re-immersed, if the creature is still alive.