What is this bad boy doing?

[archman]

Acanthaster spines contain a blood venom. Perhaps that's what the stuff is.

 

[VBlueV]

... 1 overnight stay in the hospital and lots of drugs, no fun. BUT, my index finger is working again and thumb will somewhat move...

Acanthaster spines contain a blood venom. Perhaps that's what the stuff is.

from: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/CrnThrnStr.htm

"Of particular import, I'd like to stress that these starfishes are toxic to the touch; yes, I mean it: THEY ARE VENOMOUS."

"Acanthasters should be handled only with a net and then only carefully. The spines are sharp and accompanied with a hemolytic (blood-cell splitting) toxin. Be careful! ... you get my point?"

dang jimbo.. maybe you should just make the rule.. no crown-of-thorns on your boat..
is this what they gave you at the ER?:
"Victims exposed: high flow oxygen should be administed and an IV line. Antidotes typically used by many agencies include Amyl Nitrite, Sodium Nitrite, and Sodium Thiosulfate."

 

[archman]

Folks in the Indo-Pacific spear 'em with a long barbed pole, kabob-style. Seems to be the safest and most effective manner to remove the things.

 

[justleesa]

here is an even closer look of something similar on a knobby starfish:

 

[mrjimboalaska]

First do no harm.
The crown of thorns is not a pest in Hawaii.

I certainly do not agree. I see coral dying at several dive sites with an increased
population of COT....maybe this is due to LESS Trident Trumpets???????

I guess to each their own....

I will say that if you have one drop on you from 3 ft in the air, you are bound to get sick from it.....I had about 45 punctures in my hand.

You can pull them off the coral with your knife into a game bag, put them in a bucket on the boat, then throw them in the trash. That of course IMHO......

 

[fishb0y]

Wow Jim!!! I didn't realize you got it that bad!!! like I said on the phone, you're that Captain, I guess we know who and what won't be on your boat any more. Besides, I thought you would have been bit by that metal bar before a COT. Are you gonna be at the clubhouse tonight?

 

[mrjimboalaska]

I'll be there............

 

[fishb0y]

A population boom is when you see several hundred on a patch of reef (10 kick cycles), not 20 or even 30 on an entire dive.

I disagree... I have spoke to many old timers about this, and I was told that it used to be a common occurrence to see 3 or 4 Triton's trumpets on one dive, and a COT only occasionally. Now I see a dozen every dive, and a Triton's trumpet every dozen or so dives. If I do have a rare occurrence and see a trumpet, I'm sure to put it on a COT to watch the slow speed action.

 

[archman]

If you look carefully at this pic, you'll see some milky tubules protruding from the upper skin of the beast.

Oh, THAT. I had to look at lisa's pic to figure out what you were referring to in your original pic, Howard. I thought I just was missing something in the photo.

Those "tubules" are just plain old papulae, found on the aboral surface of many starfishes. Used for gas exchange.

 

[howard4113]

Those "tubules" are just plain old papulae, found on the aboral surface of many starfishes. Used for gas exchange.

Oh - OK I've never noticed them before.
Thanks - Mark