The cause of the
D. setosum
outbreak in local waters is un-
known, but perhaps we can learn from previous studies of the outbreaks of the crown-of-thorns sea star
Acanthaster planci
, a major
coral predator in the Great Barrier Reef that has similar life-history
characteristics with
D. setosum
(i.e. high fecundity, free-spawning
with a long pelagic larval development)