Thorny Sea Star

Thorny Sea Star

We are meeting our last sea star of the week!  This one is best to be observed but not to touch! Ouch- watch out for the crown-of-thorns sea star.

Crown-of-thorn sea star fun facts: 

• The thorns on this sea star are venomous.
• These indimidating looking sea stars predate on coral!
• They have only one predator- giant triton sea snail.
• As you can see they have more than five arms.
• They do have tube feet to move them along the reefs.
• Unfortunately these predators have grown in numbers. Too many of them and that can mean trouble for a reef. They can destroy large areas.
• Scientists and conservationists now will actively remove them when there is population boom.

We love sea stars of all kinds, but this one might have gone to the dark side. Keeping a balance in habitats is crucial for all the animals that live there.