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let's learn about Acanthaster planci
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The Crown of Thorns Starfish
Overview of Crown of Thorns Starfish
by FDA Widodo

Is it Crown of Thorns Starfish actually?
Wool is one of the thousand kinds of sea animals from the Sea of Stars is the largest among the other types of Sea Stars. Thousand wool or term in the original Crown of Thorns Starfish existence recorded for the first time by George Rumphius year 1705 then by Corolus Linaeus (Mr. Taksonomy) are named Acanthaster planci.

While the body has coloring of thorns is quite diverse. It Can be found in coloring of the Crown of Thorns Starfish were Blue, Purple, Green, and Grey. In other countries such as Thailand, the color tends Crown of Thorns Starfish to Red-Gray and the same is also found in Australia (The Great Barrier Reef), but were found different in Hawaii, Crown of Thorns Starfish tend Green and Red color. Although it has a diversity of color, but for its name still have only one name, Achantaster planci.

Why do Crown of Thorns Starfish have thorns?

In addition to have color variation, Crown of Thorns Starfish's variation also has a number of arms was between 8 - 21 pieces arms, the variations madreporit 3 - 16 units with the anus is also varied (1 - 6 pieces). Meanwhile, skin the body itself consists of a matrix material Magnesium Calcite. Above the surface of the skin that, thorns grow in the number of lots and tuck in almost all the surface of the skin. This is a form of their defendences to be against their predators. Precisely at the spine a piece of the skin, there are poisons that are anti predator. Poison itself is a form of protein which is often called the substance saponen. In humans that are accidentally exposed to the spine will cause pain that extraordinary, tickles or a blister on the skin of a Crown of Thorns Starfish's punctured .

Just as well as hair, thorns grow in the Crown of Thorns Starfish sweep from their base start. This increase followed by a long dark thorn from the base to tip, so that the spine can be seen on the color difference between dark - bright enough light. The coloring of dark-light is an accumulation associated with substance Crown of Thorns Starfish's thorns saponen.

How do the Crown of Thorns Starfish breed?

At Crown of Thorns Starfish are divided into male and female is not known so that the feathers of a thousand hermaprodit. Thousand feather weight of adult females 0.5 - 4 kg is able to produce eggs of 4-6,5 million eggs to the size reached 0.2 mm. its mating occurs outside the body itself, namely the male will release sperm that reach the size of 0.5 mm in water and also be followed by the female with eggs. Many experts argued that if the process of fertilization occurs outside the body (external) between Crown of Thorns Starfish male and female is influenced by the geographical situation. In the northern hemisphere occurs in May-July and in the southern hemisphere in November - January. However, not much known to the Equator itself.

How was the Crown of Thorns Starfish's growth ?

After the egg and sperm meet, the Crown of Thorns Starfish will be experienced two phases of growth in his life, namely:
1. Plankton phase of up to 16 days and be followed a metamorphosis.
2. Post-metamorphosis phase which is the phase to Crown of Thorns Starfish young born.

After age 2 years, the Crown of Thorns Starfish has become a young parent and ready to perform Maintenance as preceding.

However, the growth of Crown of Thorns Starfish not be separated from environmental factors place to live. Tolerance limit of maximum temperature alone is 33 degrees C and minimum 14 degrees C. Meanwhile, the growth speed of the normal reach 26 mm / month for individuals who still eat seaweed (algae), and will grow quickly when Crown of Thorns Starfish be as a coral predator has begun.

Where does the Crown of Thorns Starfish lives?

Thousand feathers can be found in areas that have coral reef area and wide drifting relatively protected from strong waves. Usually found in the depth of 2 - 6 meters (vertical distribution of), but in the Great Barrier Reef can be found up to 65 meters depth!. Crown of Thorns Starfish have in a unique way to treat the body itself, this is closely associated with the regeneration rate. If Crown of Thorns Starfish lose a third of her body, it will quickly recover as usual. For example, if their hands be broke of, then dropped out of the section will grow back with a speed of 25 mm / month.

Whom is the enemy of Crown of Thorns Starfish's natural?

Although most do not have a predator because there was thorns with saponen on all their body, but Crown of Thorns Starfish also have some natural enemies. In the phase plankton, Crown of Thorns Starfish when eat soft coral and massive coral, they will be the food of coral fish such as Chromis dimidiata. At Crown of Thorns Starfish be a young form, will be a prey of Coral Shrimp (Hymenocera picta), Lobster Panulirus penicillatus, and when the adults will be hunted by the type of worms Pherecardia striata with reef fish species Arothon hispidus, and the type of moluska Charonia tritonis. Almost 5 - 6% Crown of Thorns Starfish deaths caused their predators, while the main cause is the disease (phase planton and young).

Why did a Crown of Thorns Starfish become outbreak?

Due to environmental resources to support the weak, then is not marvel if the population is now experiencing Crown of Thorns Starfish exploded anxious enough. This has caused the death of coral reefs in the area of coral reef ecosystems by increasing the result of the Crown of Thorns Starfish.

How do we control them?

Various ways have been made to control the outbreak of Crown of Thorns Starfish, among others, with animals killed at this place the way the body slit-less minimum 4 parts. There was also a way of water and then buried alive in sand. While the third way by using the concentrated liquid of cupri sulphate with doses up to 10 ml / tail as been done in Australia Great Barrier Reef when the population over Crown of Thorns Starfish. But in Indonesia itself?


Reading list.
Public Awareness About Coral Reefs (The Destruction of Coral by Suharsono in Indonesia (LIPI, Jakarta).

July 1, 2009 | 5:59 PM Comments  0 comments

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