Hundreds of crown-of-thorns starfish found on a beach in southern Japan in January stranded themselves because they were starving, say researchers.
More than 800 were discovered on a 300m stretch of sand on Ishigaki island.
The starfish population "outbreak" was first identified in 2009, when masses of juveniles were seen feeding on the island's outer coral reef.
The coral-eating starfish then took three years to move onto the beach where they perished.
The reason for the starfish population boom is not clear, but the strange behaviour has shown marine scientists what can happen when these slow-moving creatures completely deplete their food source.
Continued: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/18294729
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