This booklet contains answers to questions, which in the author's experience, are most commonly asked about the crown-of-thorns starfish. While it is meant to be used by all members of the community it has been developed particularly for secondary school students in preparing essays and assignments. The booklet has been designed so that individual photographs and line drawings can be cut out and used without destroying the text or other figures. As many of the questions are connected in some way the information given in an answer to one may relate to another.

Additional sources of information are referred to in the following form; (see 10) ie. see question 10 which would be under-lined and provide a hypertext link to the question, the back button on the browser will return you to the point from where you linked.

Where practicable confusing scientific terminology has been avoided as the intention is to provide a simple and easily understood explanation to the question raised. This is not always possible as many questions relating to the crown-of-thorns starfish cannot be answered in a simple way. A glossary of the scientific terms used in connection with this booklet has been included to assist readers.

Most of the answers in this booklet are based on published scientific information. For more detailed information, readers are referred to the following publications:

Moran, P.J. (1988) The Acanthaster phenomenon. Australian Institute of Marine Science Monograph Series Vol. 7. I 78 p. (Contains recent scientific review, annotated bibliography and subject index).

Zann, L. and Eager, E. (ed.) (1987) The Crown of Thorns Starfish. Australian Science Magazine 3:14-55. (A general publication for secondary schools and for the public).

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