|
[ti:] |
|
[ar:] |
|
[al:] |
| [00:00.15] |
Daylight reveals another reef predator. |
| [00:05.50] |
Crown-of-thorns starfish, |
| [00:09.00] |
coral killers. |
| [00:10.78] |
Climbing over their prey, |
| [00:12.15] |
they secrete digestive juices that turn the inside of the coral to liquid. |
| [00:17.02] |
Then they suck out the nutrients, |
| [00:19.66] |
leaving nothing behind but a ghostly skeleton. |
| [00:22.78] |
In only a few days, |
| [00:23.99] |
they can kill huge swathes of the reef. |
| [00:27.55] |
Fortunately, coral has an unlikely ally, |
| [00:32.28] |
the Triton's trumpet. |
| [00:34.98] |
Believe it or not, |
| [00:36.29] |
this is a predator on the prowl. |
| [00:40.34] |
Its killer pounce revealed only when time is speeded up. |
| [00:45.22] |
An unlikely hero, perhaps. |
| [00:47.71] |
But the Triton's trumpet is an invaluable control on these starfish. |
| [00:53.08] |
And the crown-of-thorns isn't the only coral killer on the reef. |
| [00:57.75] |
The razor-sharp beaks of bumphead parrotfish |
| [01:00.94] |
also put a dent in this living landscape. |