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Acanthaster planci (Crown-of-Thorns Star)
Scientific name: Acanthaster planci

Taxonomy: Kingdom Animalia → Phylum Echinodermata → Subphylum Asterozoa → Class Asteroidea → Subclass Ambuloasteroidea → Infraclass Neoasteroidea → Superorder Valvatacea → Order Valvatida → Family Acanthasteridae → Genus Acanthaster

Common name: Crown-of-Thorns Star
Locations: Hawaii, Indo-Pacific
Group: Marine LifeInvertebratesSea Stars

The thorns are very sharp and coated with toxin. Do not pet the sea star. In natural light, it's a uniform bright green color.

It can change its color somewhat by extending or retracting its tentacles.

Crown-of-thorns stars eat coral, though at least in Hawaii it hasn't been a major problem. Triton's trumpet snails eat crown-of-thorns stars.

Other images:
Acanthaster planci (Crown-of-Thorns Star)
Acanthaster planci (Crown-of-Thorns Star)
Acanthaster planci (Crown-of-Thorns Star)
Acanthaster planci (Crown-of-Thorns Star)
Acanthaster planci (Crown-of-Thorns Star)
Acanthaster planci (Crown-of-Thorns Star)
Acanthaster planci (Crown-of-Thorns Star)
Acanthaster planci (Crown-of-Thorns Star)
Acanthaster planci (Crown-of-Thorns Star)
Acanthaster planci (Crown-of-Thorns Star)
Acanthaster planci (Crown-of-Thorns Star)
Acanthaster planci (Crown-of-Thorns Star)
Hiding in a hole in the coral
Acanthaster planci (Crown-of-Thorns Star)
Acanthaster planci (Crown-of-Thorns Star)
Acanthaster planci (Crown-of-Thorns Star)
A baby, less than an inch across
Acanthaster planci (Crown-of-Thorns Star)
Acanthaster planci (Crown-of-Thorns Star)
Acanthaster planci (Crown-of-Thorns Star)
Acanthaster planci (Crown-of-Thorns Star)
Acanthaster planci (Crown-of-Thorns Star)
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