Larval Cycle of Crown-Of-Thorns Starfish (COTS)

Larval cycle of crown of thorns starfish: Fertilised eggs develop through several bipinnaria and brachiolaria stages to larvae ready to settle (bottom left). Depending on many ecological factors such as food supply, salinity and temperature development can take from 10 to 30 days. Competent larvae can be readily to settled down on a reef after 11 days and use settlement cues such as crustose coralline algae.