TheScubaSherpa | Catch of the Day | The Crown of Thorns

What's up Steemers?

Sorry I haven't posted for a few days, but today we're making up for that since it's TUUUUEEEESSDDDAYYYYYY!!!!! And it's time for your Catch of the Day:

---

Today I'm serving up the Crown of Thorns Starfish!

This baby's a force to be reckoned with- Measuring out to be roughly a foot and a half wide, this venomous coral cruncher is native to the Indo-Pacific, but is found in the Red Sea, East Africa, and Pacific-Central America. This particular starfish is another gem from my trip to the Sea of Cortez. I saw this guy anchored to the reef at about 50ft.

Infamously, the Crown of Thorns is known as the reef destroyer. The coral collector. Crowns are known to eat specifically coral and have been seen as a factor in the slow death of the Great Barrier Reef as their numbers have grown and flourished there. Since the 1980's, large communities of Crowns have come to hold the name of "plagues" as hordes are known to sweep through reef systems leaving nothing but starving skeletons behind. The uptick in Plagues of Thorns is believed to be impacted by the over-fishing and collection of predator species such as the Triton Snail. The Triton Snail is know for it's beautiful shell and is a primary consumer of Crowns in the Indo-Pacific.

To add to the dark demeanor of this creature, the Crown of Thorns Starfish is 1 of only 4 venomous starfish species on the entire planet. Thankfully, its toxins cannot be injected by the creature itself, and though not lethal, if touched, can cause stinging. swelling, and internal bleeding. Also, like the Sea Urchin, the spines of this starfish are known to be very brittle and may break off into pierced skin if touched. This will be excruciatingly painful and the spines will need to be surgically removed.

This one got kind of dark 😳 Oops, sorry guys. I'll find something cute and cuddly for next week.
Until next time,
This was your Catch of the Day!
Keep it steemy!