Solvin Zankl / Close up of thorns of Crown of thorns starfish {Acanthaster planci} Sulawesi, Indonesia

Georgette Douwma / Crown of thorns starfish {Acanthaster planci} Andaman Sea, Thailand

Georgette Douwma / Crown of thorns starfish and butterflyfish on coral reef, Red Sea, Egypt.

Alex Mustard / Pair of crown-of-thorns sea stars (Acanthaster planci) feeding on a coral colony. La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Sea of Cortez, Gulf of California, East Pacific Ocean.

Shane Gross / Philippine dive guide looking at Crown-of-thorns sea star (Acanthaster planci) Malapascua, Philippines.

Nick Hawkins / Crown-of-thorns starfish, (Acanthaster planci). Cocos Island National Park, Costa Rica.

Claudio Contreras / Crown of Thorns seastar (Acanthaster planci) detail, Espiritu Santo National Park, Sea of Cortez (Gulf of California), Mexico, February

Claudio Contreras / Crown of thorns seastar (Acanthaster planci) eating coral, Espiritu Santo National Park, Sea of Cortez (Gulf of California), Mexico, February

Claudio Contreras / Crown of Thorns Seastar (Acanthaster planci) eating coral, Espiritu Santo National Park, Sea of Cortez (Gulf of California), Mexico, February

David Fleetham / Triton trumpet shell (Charonia tritonis) attacking a crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci), Hawaii.

Jordi Chias / Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) on the reef, Mozambique.

Bert Willaert / Crown of thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci), Kimbe Bay, West New Britain, Papua New Guinea

Claudio Contreras / Crown-of-thorns Seastar (Acanthaster planci) detail, Socorro Island, Revillagigedo Archipelago Biosphere Reserve / Archipielago de Revillagigedo UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site (Socorro Islands), P...

Claudio Contreras / Crown-of-thorns Seastar (Acanthaster planci) detail, Socorro Island, Revillagigedo Archipelago Biosphere Reserve / Archipielago de Revillagigedo UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site (Socorro Islands), P...

Claudio Contreras / Crown-of-thorns Seastar (Acanthaster planci) San Benedicto Island, Revillagigedo Archipelago Biosphere Reserve / Archipielago de Revillagigedo UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site (Socorro Islands), Pac...

Georgette Douwma / Crown of thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) Malapascua Island, Philippines, September

Bertie Gregory / Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster plancinorthern) at night, northern Red Sea.

Pascal Kobeh / Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) eating the coral, an invasive species that damages coral reefs, Panama, Pacific Ocean

Georgette Douwma / Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) next to a patch of coral it has preyed on. Only in Thailand are the Crown-of-thorns starfish this unusual colour. Andaman Sea, Thailand.

Georgette Douwma / Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) next to a patch of coral it has preyed on. Only in Thailand are the Crown-of-thorns starfish this unusual colour. Andaman Sea, Thailand.

Pascal Kobeh / Diver in front of a Crown of Thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) which is eating the polyps of a hard coral (Porites sp.) Egypt, Red Sea.

Franco Banfi / Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) feeding on coral, Menjangan Island, Bali Island, Indonesia, Pacific Ocean

Alex Mustard / Diver injecting a toxin into Crown of thorn starfish (Acanthaster planci), which feeds on reef building corals. Buyat Bay, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Molucca Sea.

Juergen Freund / Crown of thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) on top of a coral and digesting it with its stomach. Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia.

Juergen Freund / Crown of thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) on the side of a Platygyra coral and digesting it with its stomach. Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia.

Pete Oxford / Diver Marlen Zigler controlling population of Crown-of-thorns sea stars (Acanthaster planci) as this species can be very damaging to coral reefs. Koro Island, Fiji, South Pacific, April 2014.

Pete Oxford / Crown-of-thorns sea star (Acanthaster planci) on coral reef. Koro Island, Fiji, South Pacific.

Pete Oxford / Diver Marlen Zigler controlling population of Crown-of-thorns sea stars (Acanthaster planci) as this species can be very damaging to coral reefs. Koro Island, Fiji, South Pacific, April 2014.

Pascal Kobeh / Giant triton (Charonia tritonis) eating a Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) at night. New Caledonia. Pacific Ocean.

Pascal Kobeh / Giant triton (Charonia tritonis) eating a Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) at night. New Caledonia. Pacific Ocean.

Pascal Kobeh / Crown of thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) eating the polyps of soft corals, Baja California peninsula, Mexico. Sea of Cortez.

Roberto Rinaldi / Crown of thorn stafish / seastar (Acanthaster planci) on reef, Reunion Island, Indian Ocean.

Roberto Rinaldi / Detail of the suckers of Crown of thorn starfish (Acanthaster planci) Reunion Island, Indian Ocean.

Jeff Rotman / Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) grazing on coral at night, Red Sea, Egypt

Juergen Freund / Tubbataha Reef rangers collecting thousands of Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci), an invasive species that has spread in the lagoon in epidemic proportions. Tubbataha Reef National Marine...

Juergen Freund / Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) in the reef. Tubbataha Reef rangers collect thousands of these invasive animals which have spread in the lagoon in epidemic proportions. Tubbataha Reef Na...

Juergen Freund / Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) collected by a snorkeler. Tubbataha Reef rangers collect thousands of these invasive animals which have spread in the lagoon in epidemic proportions. Tub...

Sue Daly / Crown of Thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) on hard coral, Cebu, Philippines, March

Sue Daly / Crown of Thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) on hard coral, Cebu, Philippines, March

Jeff Rotman / Arm and tubed feet of Crown of thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) at night, Red Sea, Egypt

GEORGETTE DOUWMA / Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) feeding on coral. Komodo, Indonesia.

GEORGETTE DOUWMA / Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) and Blue starfish (Linckia laevigata) on coral reef. Komodo, Indonesia.

GEORGETTE DOUWMA / Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) feeding on coral. Komodo, Indonesia.

GEORGETTE DOUWMA / Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) feeding on coral. Komodo, Indonesia.

GEORGETTE DOUWMA / Crown of thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) feeding on coral, Komodo, Indonesia

GEORGETTE DOUWMA / Crown of thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) crawling over sandy area between reefs, Komodo, Indonesia

GEORGETTE DOUWMA / Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) feeding on coral, Komodo, Indonesia

Juergen Freund / Snorkler collecting Crown of thorns starfish {Acathaster planci} Underwater Indo-Pacific

GEORGETTE DOUWMA / Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) on coral reef, Red Sea, Egypt.

GEORGETTE DOUWMA / Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) feeding on coral, Red Sea, Egypt.

GEORGETTE DOUWMA / Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) on coral reef, Red Sea, Egypt.

GEORGETTE DOUWMA / Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) on coral reef, Egypt, Red Sea.

Jeff Rotman / Crown-of-thorns Starfish (Acanthaster planci), close-up of spines. Egypt, Red Sea.

Jeff Rotman / Crown-of-Thorns Starfish (Acanthaster planci) mouth and feet. Egypt, Red Sea.

Jeff Rotman / Crown-of-Thorns Starfish (Acanthaster planci) feeding on coral at night. Egypt, Red Sea.

Juergen Freund / Diver with Crown of thorns starfish {Acanthaster planci} Indo-Pacific ocean

Doug Perrine / Crown of thorns starfish {Acanthaster planci} feeding on coral, Similan Is, Thailand

GEORGETTE DOUWMA / Crown of thorns starfish {Acanthaster planci} Red Sea, Egypt

GEORGETTE DOUWMA / Crown-of-Thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) feeds on coral, Irian Jaya / West Papua, Indonesia (West Papua).

GEORGETTE DOUWMA / Crown of thorns starfish {Acanthaster planci} Red Sea

Jeff Rotman / Close up of spines and skin of Crown of Thorns starfish {Acanthaster planci} Red Sea.

Jeff Rotman / Poisonous spines of Crown-of-thorns starfish {Acanthaster planci} Cocos Is,

GEORGETTE DOUWMA / Crown of Thorns starfish. Australia, Great Barrier Reef

GEORGETTE DOUWMA / Crown of Thorns starfish. Australia, Great Barrier Reef

GEORGETTE DOUWMA / Crown of Thorns starfish, Australia Great Barrier Reef

GEORGETTE DOUWMA / Crown of Thorns starfish, Australia Great Barrier Reef

GEORGETTE DOUWMA / Crown of Thorns starfish, Andaman Sea

GEORGETTE DOUWMA / Crown of Thorns starfish on coral-reef, Andaman Sea, Indian Ocean

Juergen Freund / Tube feet and spines of crown of thorns starfish {Acanthaster planci}. Philippines

Constantinos Petrinos / Crown of thorns starfish feed on coral {Acanthaster planci} Lembeh strait, Sulawesi Indonesia

GEORGETTE DOUWMA / Crown-of-Thorns starfish, Andaman Sea, Indian Ocean

Roberto Rinaldi / Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) eating a coral, Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Juergen Freund / Crown of thorn starfish {Acanthaster planci} and diver, Sea of Cortez, Mexico

Peter Scoones / Crown of thorns starfish {Acanthaster planci} on coral reef, Indo pacific

GEORGETTE DOUWMA / Crown of thorns starfish {Acanthaster planci} Andaman sea Thailand

Juergen Freund / Crown of thorns starfish in basket {Acanthaster planci} Indo-pacific

Constantinos Petrinos / Crown of thorns starfish feed on coral {Acanthaster planci} Lembeh strait Sulawesi Indonesi

Juergen Freund / Snorkeler collecting Crown of thorns starfish {Acanthaster planci} Indo-pacific

Shane Gross / Crown of thorns seastar (Acanthaster planci) feeding on coral on reef, Los Islotes, Baja California Sur, Mexico, Sea of Cortez.

Tom Vierus / A community member of Soliyaga village snorkelling underwater and removing Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) from the reef, Beqa Island, Fiji, Pacific Ocean. April, 2022.

Tom Vierus / A community member of Soliyaga village snorkelling underwater and removing Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) from the reef, Beqa Island, Fiji, Pacific Ocean. April, 2022.

Georgette Douwma / Composite image of echinoderms on black background. top left to right: Pineapple sea cucumber (Thelenota ananas), Yellow sea cucumber (Colochirus robustus), Frianti's starfish (Nardoa frianti),...

Georgette Douwma / Composite image of echinoderms on black background. SEA CUCUMBER row from left: Pineapple sea cucumber (Thelenota ananas), Leopard sea cucumber (Bohadschia argus), Yellow sea cucumber (Colochirus...

Georgette Douwma / Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) composite image showing different colour variations on black background. Thailand and Indonesia. Indo-Pacific Ocean.

Georgette Douwma / Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) composite image on black background. Thailand. Andaman Sea, Indo-Pacific Ocean.

Georgette Douwma / Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) composite image showing different colour variations on black background. Indonesia and Thailand. Indo-Pacific Ocean.

David Fleetham / Close up of Triton trumpet shell (Charonia tritonis) attacking Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) which feeds on live coral, Hawaii. Pacific Ocean.

Georgette Douwma / Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci), on black background, Bunaken National Park, Sulawesi, Indo-Pacific.

Georgette Douwma / Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) on black background, Komodo National Park, Indonesia, Indo-Pacific.

David Fleetham / Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) feeding on live coral, Hawaii, Pacific Ocean.

Franco Banfi / Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) feeding on a hard coral, Moorea, French Polynesia, Pacific Ocean.

David Fleetham / Seastar shimp (Periclimenes soror) on a Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci), Yap, Micronesia.

Shane Gross / Crown of Thorns seastar (Acanthaster planci) eating coral, Palau