- Size
- Up to about 40 cm across with 7–23 arms
- Snorkel or dive
- Snorkel and dive — never touch; the spines sting.
- Best season
- Year-round.
- Conservation
- Not assessed by the IUCN Red List.
How to recognise it
A large, many-armed sea star covered in long, venomous spines, in mottled grey, red, green or purple.
Behaviour in the wild
A natural coral predator that everts its stomach over live coral to digest the polyps; population outbreaks can strip a reef of coral.
Where to see it in the Maldives
On coral reefs atoll-wide; usually solitary, but reported in local outbreaks after disturbance.
Visual field notes
See crown-of-thorns starfish from more than one angle.
One verified identification image is currently available.
01 · Field portrait · Species reference
PhotoThe CosmonautCC BY-SA 2.5 ca
Field notes
A single crown-of-thorns can eat its own body area of living coral in a day, which is why controlling outbreaks is a front-line reef-conservation job.
Profile references
References are shown transparently; profile copy may also include editorial synthesis. Seasons and sightings vary with wild conditions.
