No. 1276 of 1,402
Crown-of-thorns starfish
Acanthaster planci
Urchins, stars & worms🌵 Venomous spines
Danger to people: SeriousA bite or sting needs a doctor. Deaths are very rare.Crown-of-thorns starfish belongs to the group: Urchins, stars & worms. It lives in: The oceans.2
Venom power
Venomous spines
Sharp spines carry the venom. Stepping on it or grabbing it hurts.
How dangerous is it to people?
Danger to people: SeriousA bite or sting needs a doctor. Deaths are very rare.🚑 If it bites or stings
- Put the wound in hot water, as hot as the person can stand without burning, and get medical help to remove spines. Do not dig for them yourself.
Always call your emergency number first (112, 000, 911). This is general first aid guidance, not medical advice. First aid basics
⛑️ Stay safe
- Never touch, catch or tease a wild animal, even a small one, and even if it looks asleep or dead.
- Give it space. If you meet one, stay calm, step back slowly and let it go its own way.
- If one bites or stings you: stay calm, keep still, call your emergency number (112, 000, 911) or get to a hospital fast. Remember what it looked like, a photo helps.
It is not out to get you. It uses its venom to catch food or to protect itself, and it would much rather hide. More about staying safe
Where in the world?
How big is it?
How long is it?
🧱as long as 11 toy building bricks in a row🐌slower than a garden snail
How big is Crown-of-thorns starfish compared to YOU?
Just maths in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.
How fast is it?
Crown-of-thorns starfish about 0.02 km/h (0.01 mph)
A garden snail about 0.05 km/h (0.03 mph)
A tortoise about 0.3 km/h (0.19 mph)
A person walking about 5 km/h (3.1 mph)
A kid on a bike about 12 km/h (7.5 mph)
Where the facts come from
- Acanthaster planci (iNaturalist): names and classification.
- Venom Wiki: the danger level, the typical size and the speed guess are our own. See how we work them out: How we rate danger.
Every fact on this page has a number that points to its source. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are animal fans, not a science journal. Tell us at hello@venomwiki.app and we will fix it.
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