Acanthaster
| Acanthaster | |
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| Acanthaster planci | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Echinodermata |
| Class: | Asteroidea |
| Order: | Valvatida |
| Family: | Acanthasteridae |
| Genus: |
Acanthaster Gervais, 1841 |
| Species | |
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| Synonyms | |
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Acanthaster is a small genus of large and venomous starfish placed in its own family, Acanthasteridae. Its members are known as crown-of-thorns starfish.
These species are listed in the World Register of Marine Species:
Some sources add Acanthaster ellisi, (Gray, 1840) but it is now considered as a subspecies of A. planci in the eastern Pacific.
Recent molecular work has suggested that Acanthaster planci is a species complex of up to 4 different species that have yet to be separately described (Vogler et. al., 2008).
A. planci
A. brevispinus
Lab hybrid of A. planci and A. brevispinus
A. p. ellisi
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