Goniasteridae

Goniasteridae (the biscuit stars) constitute the largest family of sea stars, included in the order Valvatida. They are mostly deep-dwelling species, but the family also include several colorful shallow tropical species.

Description

Goniasteridae are usually middle-sized sea stars with a characteristic double range of marginal plates bordering the disk and arms. Most of them have five arms, often short and triangular, around a broad central disc; many species are pentagonal or subpentagonal, covered densely with granular, seed-like protuberances, hence the name of the family "seed-star" (''gonium+aster''). The aboral face is often covered with tiny spines looking like paxillae. Pedicellariae are often valvate, and the gonads are located at the interradius.

Main identification keys for this group include the presence of paxillae, granules, teeth, spines, or the shape and dimensions of marginal plate.

Location and habitat

They occur predominantly on deep-water continental shelf habitats (but a part of them inhabit shallow waters) in all the world's oceans, being the most diverse in the Indo-Pacific region.

List of genera

About 260 extant species within 70 genera are currently known, which make this family the most diverse of all the sea stars, even if half of the genera are monospecific. Species belonging to the '' Ferdininae'' subfamily have been imported from Ophidiasteridae thanks to a large revision of these two families in 2017

According to World Register of Marine Species, this family includes the following genera:

Image:Akelbaster caledoniae.JPG, '' Akelbaster novaecaledoniae''
Image:Anthenoides peircei - NOAA Photo Library.jpg, '' Anthenoides piercei''
Image:Apollonaster kelleyi.jpg, '' Apollonaster kelleyi''
Image:Astroceramus eldredgei.jpg, '' Astroceramus eldredgei''

Image:Calliaster baccatus P3164673.JPG, ''Calliaster baccatus''
Image:Ceramaster granularis-25mm.jpg, '' Ceramaster granularis''
Image:Chitonaster johannae.jpg, '' Chitonaster johannae''
Image:Circeaster sandrae.JPG, '' Circeaster sandrae''
Image:Cladaster analogus.JPG, '' Cladaster analogus''
Image:Eknomiaster beccae.JPG, '' Eknomiaster beccae''
Image:Eratosaster jenae.JPG, '' Eratosaster jennae''
Image:Evoplosoma.jpg, '' Evoplosoma sp.''
Image:Eosaster nadiae.jpg, '' Eosaster nadiae''
Image:Ferdina flavescens.jpg, '' Ferdina flavescens''
Image:Kanakaster solidus.jpg, '' Kanakaster solidus''
Image:Neoferdina cumingi.jpg, '' Neoferdina cumingi''
Image:Paraferdina plakos.jpg, '' Paraferdina plakos''
Image:Fromia monilis (Seastar).jpg, ''Fromia monilis''
Image:Gilbertaster caribaea.jpg, '' Gilbertaster caribaea''
Image:Glyphodiscus magnificus.jpg, '' Glyphodiscus magnificus''
Image:Goniaster tessellatus São Tomé.jpg, ''Goniaster tessellatus''
Image:Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary 2010 Hippasteria spinosa.jpg, '' Hippasteria spinosa''
Image:Iconaster longimanus.jpg, '' Iconaster longimanus''
Image:Mariaster giganteus 01.jpg, `''Mariaster giganteus''
Image:Mediaster aequalis 25March2010 14.jpg, '' Mediaster aequalis''
Image:Milteliphaster woodmasoni.jpg, '' Milteliphaster woodmasoni''
Image:Nectria macrobrachia Large plated seastar P1021082.JPG, '' Nectria macrobrachia''
Image:Nymphaster arenatus.png, '' Nymphaster arenatus''
Image:Peltaster placenta.jpg, '' Peltaster placenta''
Image:Pawsonaster parvus.jpg, '' Pawsonaster parvus''
Image:Pentagonaster duebeni 1.jpg, '' Pentagonaster duebeni''
Image:Pillsburiaster calvus.JPG, '' Pillsburiaster calvus''
Image:Plinthaster dentatus.jpg, '' Plinthaster dentatus''
Image:Pseudoceramaster regularis.jpg, '' Pseudoceramaster regularis''
Image:Rosaster.jpg, '' Rosaster sp.''
Image:Ryukuaster onnae.JPG, '' Ryukuaster onnae''
Image:Sphaeriodiscus mirabilis.JPG, '' Sphaeriodiscus mirabilis''
Image:Galloping sea star (Stellaster equestris).jpg, '' Stellaster childreni''
Image:Stellasteropsis fouadi (MNHN-IE-2014-49) 01.jpg, '' Stellasteropsis fouadi''
Image:Sthenaster emmae.JPG, '' Sthenaster emmae''
Image:Tosia australis P1222858.JPG, '' Tosia australis''

Extinct genera

Lists of genera containing extinct species according to fossilworks.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2076886

Echinoderm families
Extant Jurassic first appearances