Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Echinodermata
Subphylum: Eleutherozoa
Superclassis: Asterozoa
Classis: Asteroidea
Ordo: Spinulosida
Subordo: Leptognathina
Familia: Asterinidae
Genera: Anseropoda – Aquilonastra – Asterina – Asterinides – Callopatiria – Cryptasterina – Disasterina – Indianastra – Kampylaster – Meridiastra – Nepanthia – Paranepanthia – Parvulastra – Patiria – Patiriella – Pseudasterina – Pseudonepanthia – Pseudopatiria – Stegnaster – Tegulaster – Tremaster
nomen dubium: Asterinopsis
Name
Asterinidae Gray, 1840
References
O’Loughlin, P.M.; Waters, J.M. 2004: A molecular and morphological revision of genera of Asterinidae (Echinodermata: Asteroidea). Memoirs of Museum Victoria, 61: 1–40. [1]
O'Loughlin, P.M. 2009: New asterinid species from Africa and Australia (Echinodermata: Asteroidea:Asterinidae). Memoirs of Museum Victoria, 66 (2): 203–213. Full article: [2].
O’Loughlin, P.M. & Mackenzie, M. 2013. Asterinid seastars from the Mozambique Channel (Echinodermata: Asteroidea: Asterinidae). Zootaxa 3613(2): 176–180. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3613.2.5 Reference page.
The Asterinidae are a large family of sea stars in the order Valvatida.
Description and characteristics
These are generally small sea stars, flattened dorsally and bearing very short arms, often giving a pentagonal shape in the body ;example: Asterians rubens (except in some species possessing more than five arms). The periphery of the body is thin and formed by indistinct, tiny marginal plates. They are characterized by their aborale face formed by plates shaped like crescents, sometimes giving a "knitted" appearance to the skin.[2]
The abyssal species can be bigger, like those of the genus Anseropoda, which can exceed 45 cm in diameter.[2]
Biology
Most of the species are small and relatively cryptic: they are often found hidden under rocks or in crevices, for example. Several species have access to a fissiparous asexual reproduction, multiplying their reproductive potential. For that reason, some species of the genera Meridiastra and Aquilonastra can sometimes appear spontaneously in aquariums, where they can proliferate from just one larva imported inadvertently. Some species can brood their young (which thus do not pass through a planctonic larval stage), such as Asterina pancerii.[2]
Most of the species feed on food fragments and algal or bacterial mat covering the substratum, evaginating their stomach on their food (a frequent feeding mode in sea stars). However, some species like Stegnaster inflatus takes advantage of their webbed shape to form a "trap" by heightening on the tip of their arms, and suddenly falling on a prey which would have believed to find shelter there.[2]
They can be found in almost all the seas of the world, from the abysses to the surface and from the poles to the tropics.[2]
Genera
This family comprises about 21 genera and 116 species according to O'Loughlin & Waters (2004),[3] whereas the World Asteroidea Database states that it includes 150 species in 25 genera.[1]
Genera included in the family according to the World Asteroidea Database:[1]
Ailsastra O'Loughlin & Rowe, 2005
Allopatiria Verrill, 1913
Anseropoda Nardo, 1834
Aquilonastra O'Loughlin in O'Loughlin & Waters, 2004
Asterina Nardo, 1834
Asterinides Verrill, 1913
Asterinopsis Verrill, 1913
Callopatiria Verrill, 1913
Cryptasterina Dartnall & al. 2003
Disasterina Perrier, 1875
Indianastra O'Loughlin in O'Loughlin & Waters, 2004
Kampylaster Koehler, 1920
Manasterina H.L. Clark, 1938
Meridiastra O'Loughlin, 2002
Nepanthia Gray, 1840
Paranepanthia Fisher, 1917
Parvulastra O'Loughlin in O'Loughlin & Waters, 2004
Patiria Gray, 1840
Patiriella Verrill, 1913
Pseudasterina Aziz & Jangoux, 1985
Pseudonepanthia A.H. Clark, 1916
Pseudopatiria O'Loughlin in O'Loughlin & Waters, 2004
Stegnaster Sladen, 1889
Tegulaster Livingstone, 1933
Tremaster Verrill, 1880
Ctenaster L. Agassiz, 1836
Desmopatiria Verrill, 1913
References
Mah, Christopher (2013). Mah CL (ed.). "Asterinidae Gray, 1840". World Asteroidea database. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 2014-01-19.
Mah, Christopher L. (June 24, 2015). "Better know The Asterinidae: Familiar & Unfamiliar!". The Echinoblog.
O'Loughlin, P. M.; Waters, J. M. (2004). "A molecular and morphological revision of genera of Asterinidae (Echinodermata: Asteroidea)" (PDF). Memoirs of Museum Victoria. 61 (1): 1–40. doi:10.24199/j.mmv.2004.61.1.
Bibliography
P. M. O'Loughlin; J. M. Waters (2004). "A molecular and morphological revision of genera of Asterinidae (Echinodermata: Asteroidea)" (PDF). Memoirs of Museum Victoria. 61 (1): 1–40. doi:10.24199/j.mmv.2004.61.1.
Byrne, Maria (2006). "Life history diversity and evolution in the Asterinidae". Integrative and Comparative Biology. 46 (3): 1–12. doi:10.1093/icb/icj033. PMID 21672739.
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