Acanthaster


Acanthaster is a bitypic genus of large and venomous starfish placed in its own family, Acanthasteridae. Its two members are known as crown-of-thorns starfish. Acanthaster are native to Coral reefs in Indo-Pacific region. They are a contributor to coral reefs degradation because at high density they consume a large amount of live coral.

Species

These species are listed in the World Register of Marine Species:
Some sources add Acanthaster ellisi, but it is now considered as a subspecies of A. planci in the eastern Pacific.
Recent molecular work has suggested that Acanthaster planci is a species complex of up to 4 different species that have yet to be separately described.