Starfish Predator:

The Crown of Thorns

Corals
 Under the Phylum
Coelentarata
 May consist of a single polyp
or a colony
 Resemble sea anemones
 Colors due to algae living on
them
 Most abundant in the tropics
where there are high water
temperatures
 Feed on planktons by night
Coral reefs
 Importance:
 Made up of coral  Provide shelter to
skeleton and cementing fingerlings
coralline (encrusting)  Control sea water carbon
algae dioxide
 Hard limestone structure  Protect shores from
strong sea currents
Isn’t it beautiful?
Philippine Reef
Damaged Coral Reef
The Enemy: The Crown of
Thorns
 Species name: Acanthaster
planci
 Feeds on corals (mostly
Acropora)
 Commonly found in the Pacific
and Indian oceans
 Has long sharp venomous
spines, 7-23 arms
 Resilient against its predators
(major: humphead wrasse and
giant triton)
 Vulnerable ventral/oral side
The Crown of Thorns
Biological
Controls
 Planktonic phase –
prey of filter feeding
organism
 Benthic form – prey
of worms,
crustaceans,
gastropods, etc.
 Adult – Triton shell
and carnivorous fish
The Extent of
their Damage
 Releases enzymes
that digest the coral
tissue and absorbs
the released energy
reserves
 Individually can wipe
out 5-6 sq. m. Of
corals per year
 In large numbers,
can kill 90% of living
corals
Impact
 Reduces abundance and
surface cover of corals,
species compositions,
diversity, colony size
distribution 84% porotid coral
 Increase in algae and soft
corals  decrease in
topography complexity
 Increased carrying capacity of
herbivorous fish, decrease in
other corallivore species COT in dead coral
The Cause of Outbreaks
(human)
 Increased nutrition in
the sea
Agricultural runoff
and sewage

 Decrease in COT
predators
Major predators i.e.
the humphead
wrasse and the
giant triton are The Giant Triton Snail feeding on a
COT starfish
overfished
During an Outbreak

Densely piled on top of the corals

During an Outbreak
Solutions (Human
Intervention)
 Injecting COT with poison
Copper sulfate
Formaldehyde
Sodium hypochlorite
Ammonia
Ammonium hydroxide
Compressed air
Acetic acid
Diluted sodium bisulate
Solutions (Human
Intervention)
 Cuttingup the starfish
 Harvesting the starfish
Philippine Setting
“We are experiencing a return of the starfish in greater
numbers,” said WWF-Philippines CEO Lory Tan. “The
situation facing our reefs is far from normal.”(2007)

 From25 000 sq. km  1% pristine,

50% unhealthy
 COT outbreaks in:
Apo Reef and Puerto Galera
in Mindoro
Mabini in Batangas
Roxas in Palawan
Bolinao in Lingayen Gulf
Kiamba and Glan in Sarangani Bay
Philippine Setting
 Solutions:
Harvesting the COTs/
Clean-up dives
Fishing Ban
○ Working towards sustainable
coastal practices
○ Alternative livelihood for
fishermen in the area
Better sewage management
Preventing agricultural runoff
Damaged Reef
This is how we want our reefs...