Close up of the arm of a crown-of-thorns starfish as it feeds on hard coral, Pulau Weh, Sumatra, Indonesia.
Close up of the arm of a crown-of-thorns starfish as it feeds on hard coral, Pulau Weh, Sumatra, Indonesia. Crown-of-thorns starfish are voracious predators of hard coral. They evert their stomachs directly onto the corals and digest the tissues off the skeleton of the coral. Pulau Weh lies at the most north westerly tip of Indonesia, where the Indian Ocean meets the Andaman Sea. The deep water and strong currents that sweep past the island provides perfect conditions for both large and small marine species. The island has active volcanic vents that emit sulphurous gases and lies close to an active subduction zone. Pulau Weh lies just off shore from Banda Aceh, the city that was devastated during the 2004 tsunami. Fortunately, damage on the island was minimal compared to the devestation on the mainland.
Size: 2848px × 4288px
Photo credit: © Matthew Oldfield Underwater Photography / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: acanthaster, animals, corals, crown, crown--thorns, echinoderms, feeding, hard, house, indonesia, invertebrates, macro, marine, planci, predator, pulau, reef, spines, starfish, sumatra, thorns, tropical, underwater, weh, zoology
