An atlas of the skeletal components of the crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci (L))

Abstract

In recent years extensive damage has been caused to many reefs in the Great Barrier Reef complex by the crown-of-thorns starfish (A. planci). Authors on the subject are divided as to whether the outbreaks are a recurring natural phenomenon or a result of the influence of man. 'The identification of crow-of-thorns skeletal-rich zones in reef sediment and cores may help to determine if large population fluctuations occurred prior to the arrival of Europeans in central Queensland.