Starfish

The giant triton (Charonia tritonis) is a beautiful shell and a well-known predator of the crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci). In many parts of the third world, it is still being collected in large numbers and sold to tourists as ornaments.

Many species of starfish are known to have outbreaks in different parts of the world. Prior to human collection, the giant triton might have controlled starfish numbers not by eating the many, but by preventing the aggregation that precedes the outbreak. At present, little is known of any aspect of the triton's ecology despite its obvious importance in controlling starfish numbers.

A PDF file of the complete book "Starfish: A warning from the past" can be downloaded from either Trove or the Internet Archive. Both hard and soft cover printed books are available through links at the Charonia Research blog.