Researchers from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) have revealed the evolutionary history of the crown-of-thorns starfish – a predator of coral that can devastate coral reefs.
Researchers from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) have revealed the evolutionary history of the crown-of-thorns starfish – a predator of coral that can devastate coral reefs. Their findings shed light on how the populations of these starfish have changed over time and could potentially help reduce their ecological destruction.
A single crown-of-thorns starfish is formidable, with a large body covered in spiky, venomous thorns. But their true danger lies in their potent reproductive ability, with female crown-of thorns starfish releasing millions of eggs in a single spawning. This can quickly lead to plagues, with uncontrollably large numbers of starfish rapidly destroying vast areas of coral reef.
“Almost 40 years ago, Okinawa experienced a massive outbreak of crown-of-thorns starfish, where over 1.5 million starfish had to be removed by divers by hand,” said Professor Noriyuki Satoh, senior author of the student and leader of the Marine Genomics Unit at OIST.
Read more at: Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) Graduate University
The crown-of-thorns starfish is a predator of coral. (Photo Credit: OIST)
