What Are the Habitat Preferences for the Crown-of-Thorns Starfish?

Preying on coral and sometimes exploding in population, crown-of-thorns starfish---one of the largest sea stars in the world---are notorious for destructive effects on reefs. Nonetheless, they are natural components of certain tropical marine ecosystems.

Geographic Range

Crown-of-thorns starfish inhabit warmer waters of the Pacific and Indian oceans.

Habitat

Crown-of-thorns starfish feed on living coral and therefore frequent coral reefs.

These huge sea stars favor reefs in deep or sheltered waters, including lagoons. They rarely enter shallows unless conditions are calm.

Obstacles

Typically these starfish avoid loose, yielding ocean substrate because of a lack of surface on which to cling. They rarely cross sandy seafloor under unsettled seas.

Habitat Expansion

Unless obstructed by turbulence, crown-of-thorns starfish may travel hundreds of feet per week and penetrate new reefs.

Larvae

Crown-of-thorns starfish larvae develop from free-floating fertilized eggs and swim for several weeks before settling on the ocean bottom to metamorphose into juvenile sea stars.

References

• Australian Institute of Marine Science: Crown-of-Thorns Starfish
• Invasive Species Specialist Group: Ecology of Acanthaster Planci

Resources

• Australian Institute of Marine Science Research: Biodiversity and Ecology---Crown-of-Thorns Starfish