Acanthaster
| Acanthaster | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Acanthaster mauritiensis | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Echinodermata |
| Class: | Asteroidea |
| Order: | Valvatida |
| Family: | Acanthasteridae |
| Genus: | Acanthaster Gervais, 1841 |
| Species | |
|
2, See text. | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Acanthaster (from Ancient Greek ἄκανθα (ákantha), meaning "spine, thorn", and ἀστήρ (astḗr), meaning "star") is a bitypic genus of large and venomous starfish placed in the monotypic family, Acanthasteridae. Its two members are known as crown-of-thorns starfish. Acanthaster are native to coral reefs in Indo-Pacific region.
The species in this genus are a contributor to coral reef degradation because they prey on a large amount of live coral at high density.