Crown-of-thorns are indeed native to most of Hawaii including the NWHI Chain. They're also fairly common in the Indian Ocean and Southern Pacific (Australia). That stuff coming out of the tentacles could be a toxin. The toxin usually causes a bit of burning and numbness, but shouldn't do long-term damage. Odds are, though, that it is not toxin but only stray bits of mucus that have stuck on the tentacles. Starfish don't release toxins unless provoked. Also, several endosymbionts may live on the starfish and may be involved in creating a mucus netting to capture food in. The starfish feed on coral by exuding their stomach onto the coral polyps and digesting them outside the body. If you want to pick one up your general 5-7 mm gloves aren't going to be any good. Your best bet is to use a rock or a dive tool to flip them over or balance them on. The reason many people consider crown-of-thorns introduced is because they confuse it with the fact that it is (in some places) overpopulating the reef. In fact, periodic crown-of-thorns blooms have occured regularly for many years. However, it is encouraged to kill them on sight and several groups hire people to constantly remove starfish from reefs throughout the year. To kill a crown of thorns you shouldn't just cut off pieces. They can regenerate most of their body, and may even duplicate if cut in half. To kill them the best way is to flip them over and slice into their stomach while they are digesting coral, then to cover their innards with sand. This prevents them from redeveloping the organs and they eventually starve to death. It is ideal to simply remove the starfish from the environment instead of slashing them to pieces, but this requires special equipment (like heavy duty bags). Like Lio Kai mentioned, one or two starfish is not a population boom, and around the main Hawaiian Islands there have not been any extensive invasions of these starfish so your best bet is to let them be and enjoy them as part of the unique ecology of the ocean!
What is this bad boy doing?
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mrjimboalaska
Contributor
That stuff coming out of the tentacles could be a toxin. The toxin usually causes a bit of burning and numbness, but shouldn't do long-term damage.
Sure enough, it is toxic....
New Rule on the boat....NO CROWN OF THORNS ON THE BOAT, EVER.....
Just finished up my second stay at Hospital, this time due to infection, I'm getting the double whammy of antibiotics and still can't move the Thumb. Sucks, I might not be able to dive this weekend.................
Sure enough, it is toxic....
New Rule on the boat....NO CROWN OF THORNS ON THE BOAT, EVER.....
Just finished up my second stay at Hospital, this time due to infection, I'm getting the double whammy of antibiotics and still can't move the Thumb. Sucks, I might not be able to dive this weekend.................
Who said you need a thumb to drive a boat? Your public awaits!
In all serious... hope you are feeling better. At least you didn't get bit by that metal bolt however!
In all serious... hope you are feeling better. At least you didn't get bit by that metal bolt however!
VBlueV
Contributor
jeeze jimbo..
sounds like you need a soft-ball size gamma-gobulin shot and a fifth of jack..
yeah.. that'll cure you =)
and, on the same line of thought as fishb0y.. as long as you can turn your valve with your other hand.. you could still dive too (j/k)
besides a good 40% nitrox dive to 80ft could kill those bugs with either pressure or oxygen saturation.. (again, j/k, for any internists out there)
hope you get better or drunker or narced, heh.
sounds like you need a soft-ball size gamma-gobulin shot and a fifth of jack..
yeah.. that'll cure you =)
and, on the same line of thought as fishb0y.. as long as you can turn your valve with your other hand.. you could still dive too (j/k)
besides a good 40% nitrox dive to 80ft could kill those bugs with either pressure or oxygen saturation.. (again, j/k, for any internists out there)
hope you get better or drunker or narced, heh.
Rather than kill, remember that ecosystems are a balancing act and everything has it's place. Find a triumph trident and move it to the crown of thorns, very entertaining. If people take triumph tridents for their shells (meat toxic I think), there is not enough predators to control the crowns'.
The solution is protecting tridents, not killing crowns. Parrotfish eat the coral but we don't go killing the parrotfish.
The solution is protecting tridents, not killing crowns. Parrotfish eat the coral but we don't go killing the parrotfish.
With the current ecosystem dynamic of most tropical Pacific coral reef communities, you're better off removing every live Acanthaster you encounter. Large echinoderm predators are pretty stinking thin on the ground. I haven't seen a live Charonia in the west Atlantic since the 1990's, and coastal eutrophication greatly favors the growth rate of Acanthaster.
Let us know how your condition progresses, jimbo. Those hand injuries suck.
Let us know how your condition progresses, jimbo. Those hand injuries suck.
Where are trumpet tridents found? I don't think I've ever seen one in the wild...
VBlueV
Contributor
i've seen some trident trumpets around oahu.. normally in deeper water 50ft+ on flat rocky/sandy areas
last year me and jimbo saw a couple big ones (at least 2ft long, 1ft diameter)..
when we turned 'em over too look at 'em, they were already chompin' on crown-of-thorns..
last year me and jimbo saw a couple big ones (at least 2ft long, 1ft diameter)..
when we turned 'em over too look at 'em, they were already chompin' on crown-of-thorns..
Tell that to the guys that I saw taking their spears in at Ulua a couple weeks ago as I was exiting from a night dive...
Somehow I think it had more to do with the fish than protecting the coral... but still.
Parrot fish is one of my favorite eating fish... just wish I was better at bringing them home ...KrisB:Tell that to the guys that I saw taking their spears in at Ulua a couple weeks ago as I was exiting from a night dive...
Somehow I think it had more to do with the fish than protecting the coral... but still.
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