Acanthaster planci, better known as the crown of thorns starfish or the COTS is large species of starfish which is native to the tropical and subtropical latitudes of the red sea, Indian ocean, and pacific ocean. Here they inhabit coral reefs and hard coral communities, where they are predators of the corals themselves as well as encrusting sessile invertebrates and carrion. These starfish feed by extruding there stomach out through the mouth over the surface, the stomach then secretes digestive enzymes that liquefy the corals soft tissues allowing the starfish to slurp up the coral. This leaves a white scar of coral skeleton devoid of living tissue. An individual crown of thorns starfish can consume up to 6 square meters (65 sq ft) of living coral reef per year. These starfish sport elongated, sharp spines which cover nearly the entire upper surface of there arms and bodies which give the creature its name and serve as a mechanical defense against predation. These spines and other tissues of the starfish contain a mix of bitter foaming saponin toxins known as asterosaponins. While A. planci has no mechanism for injecting the toxin, if attacked the spines perforate the tissue of a predator releasing said toxins. In In humans, this immediately causes a sharp, stinging pain that can last for several hours, and persistent bleeding, nausea, and tissue swelling that may last a week or more. Surprisingly there are around 11 species known to prey upon COTS including pufferfish, triggerfish, small painted shrimp, polychaete worms, a hermit crab, a sea urchin, a large polyp-like creature of the cnidarian genus Corynactis, and the tritons trumpet snail. Reaching 10 to 14 inches (25 to 35cms) across, the crown of thorns starfish sports a central disk from which radiates up to 21 arms. Although the body of the crown of thorns has a stiff appearance, it is quite soft and is able to bend and twist to fit around the contours of the corals on which it feeds. Under ideal conditions a COTS may live upwards 8 to 17 years.
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