Sea star shimp (Periclimenes soror), on a crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci), Yap, Micronesia, Pacific

A sea star shimp (Periclimenes soror), swims through a forest of spines on the back of a crown-of-thorns starfish, Micronesia, Pacific

Panamic Crown of Thorns Starfish, Acanthaster ellisii, La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico

Crown-of-Thorns Starfish, Acanthaster planci, North Male Atoll, Maldives

Panamic Crown of Thorns Starfish, Acanthaster ellisii, La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico

A crown-of-thorns sea star (Acanthaster planci) feeds on a living coral colony among the remote, tropical islands of Raja Ampat, Indonesia.

A crown of thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) feeds on a coral reef growing near an island in the Banda Sea, Indonesia.

Close-up detail of a crown of thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci); Maui, Hawaii, United States of America