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

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

A crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) feeds on coral near Cocos Island, Costa Rica.

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

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

An adult Crown-of-Thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci), in the shallow reefs off Bangka Island, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Detail of toxic Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci), spines, crown of thorns, Pacific, Great Barrier Reef, UNESCO World Heritage, Australia, Oceania

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

Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci), feeding on coral, Sudan, Red Sea, Africa

Crown-of-thorns sea star (Acanthaster planci) on dead coral. Heron Island. Great Barrier Reef. Queensland. Autralia.