A short-spined crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster brevispinus) photographed at Malapascuas Island, Philippines. One of the two members of the starfish genus Acanthaster, this species was first described by the American zoologist Walter Kenrick Fisher from a specimen collected off Sirun Island. A. brevispinus is thought to be widely distributed, with specimens collected in the Philippines, the Great Barrier Reef, and the Seychelles.Photograph: Matt Kieffer