Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Devastation of a fringing coral reef by Acanthaster

Nature volume 249, pages 589–590 (1974)Cite this article

Abstract

A RECENT synopsis of reports on the status of populations of the Crown of Thorns Starfish, Acanthaster planci (L.), in the Indo-West Pacific1, indicates that no extensive destruction of living corals by this starfish has yet been recorded in the western Indian Ocean. Here I present a preliminary account of an aggregated starfish population and extensive mortality of hard corals, observed in May 1973 off the north coast of Grande Comore, Comoro Islands.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Endean, R., and Chesher, R. H., Biol. Conserv., 5, 87 (1973).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Aust. Acad. Sci. Publ., 11, 20PP (1970).

  3. Chesher, R. H., Science, 165, 280 (1969).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. New Studies on the Coral Predating Starfish Acanthaster planci (edit. by Roads, C. H., and Ormond, R. F. G.), Report of the 1970 Cambridge Red Sea Expedition (1971).

  5. Glynn, P. W., Science, 180, 504 (1973).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Gerlach, S. A., Atoll Res. Bull., 80, 6 pp. (1961).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Porter, J. W., Am. Nat., 106, 487 (1972).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Jones, R. S., Micronesica, 4, 309 (1968).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Dana, T. F., Newman, W. A., and Fager, E. W., Pacif. Sci., 26, 355 (1972).

    Google Scholar 

  10. Ormond, R. F. G., and Campbell, A. C., Symp. zool. Soc., Lond., 28, 433 (1971).

    Google Scholar 

  11. Loriol, P. de, Mém. Soc. Phys. Hist. nat. Genève, 29, No. 4 (1885).

  12. Glynn, P. W., Stewart, R. H., and McCosker, J. E., Geol. Rdsch., 61, 483 (1972).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Scoffin, T. P., Science, 178, 1280 (1972).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Newman, W. A., Science, 167, 1274 (1970).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Dana, T. F., Science, 169, 894 (1970).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 15 Chemin F.-Lehmann, Grand-Saconnex Geneva, 1218, Switzerland

    N. V. C. POLUNIN

Authors
  1. N. V. C. POLUNIN
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

POLUNIN, N. Devastation of a fringing coral reef by Acanthaster. Nature 249, 589–590 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1038/249589a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/249589a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing