''Acanthaster'' is a bitypic
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
of large and venomous
starfish placed in
its own family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
, Acanthasteridae. Its two members are known as
crown-of-thorns starfish. Acanthaster are native to coral reefs in Indo-Pacific region.
The species in this genus are a contributor to
coral reef
A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem characterized by reef-building corals. Reefs are formed of colonies of coral polyps held together by calcium carbonate. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, whose polyps cluster in groups.
C ...
degradation because they prey on a large amount of live
coral
Corals are marine invertebrates within the class Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact colonies of many identical individual polyps. Coral species include the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and ...
at high density.
Species
These species are listed in the World Register of Marine Species:
[
*'' Acanthaster brevispinus'' Fisher, 1917
*'']Acanthaster planci
The crown-of-thorns starfish (frequently abbreviated to COTS), ''Acanthaster planci'', is a large starfish that preys upon hard, or stony, coral polyps (Scleractinia). The crown-of-thorns starfish receives its name from venomous thorn-like spines ...
'' (Linnaeus
Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the ...
, 1758)
Some sources add ''Acanthaster ellisi'', (Gray, 1840) but it is now considered as a subspecies of ''A. planci'' in the eastern Pacific.
Recent molecular work has suggested that ''Acanthaster planci
The crown-of-thorns starfish (frequently abbreviated to COTS), ''Acanthaster planci'', is a large starfish that preys upon hard, or stony, coral polyps (Scleractinia). The crown-of-thorns starfish receives its name from venomous thorn-like spines ...
'' is a species complex of up to 4 different species that have yet to be separately described (Vogler et al., 2008).
Haszprunar, Vogler & Wörheide (2017) suggest to split "''A. planci''" in :
* ''Acanthaster planci'' (Linnaeus, 1758) -- Northern Indian Ocean, always purple-blue and red
* ''Acanthaster mauritiensis'' de Loriol, 1885 -- Souther Indian Ocean
* ''Acanthaster solaris'' (Schreber, 1795) -- Pacific Ocean (max. 23 arms)
* ''Acanthaster benziei'' Wörheide, Kaltenbacher, Cowan & Haszprunar, 2022 -- Red Sea (max. 14 arms).
Image:Crown of Thorns-jonhanson.jpg, ''Acanthaster planci
The crown-of-thorns starfish (frequently abbreviated to COTS), ''Acanthaster planci'', is a large starfish that preys upon hard, or stony, coral polyps (Scleractinia). The crown-of-thorns starfish receives its name from venomous thorn-like spines ...
'' ''stricto sensu'' (Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
).
Image:Crown of Thorns Starfish at Malapascuas Island v. II.jpg, '' Acanthaster brevispinus'' ( Australia).
Image:Acanthaster brevispinus hybrid.JPG, Lab hybrid of ''A. planci'' and ''A. brevispinus''La Réunion
LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States.
La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music
* La (musical note), or A, the sixth note
* "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figure ...
.
Image:Acanthaster egypt.JPG, ''Acanthaster benziei'' from Red Sea.
References
Acanthasteridae
{{Asteroidea-stub