The Ophidiasteridae (Greek ''ophidia'', Οφιδια, "of snakes", diminutive form) are a

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

sea star Starfish or sea stars are Star polygon, star-shaped echinoderms belonging to the class (biology), class Asteroidea (). Common usage frequently finds these names being also applied to brittle star, ophiuroids, which are correctly referred to ...

s with about 30

genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...

. Occurring both in the

Indo-Pacific The Indo-Pacific is a vast biogeographic region of Earth. In a narrow sense, sometimes known as the Indo-West Pacific or Indo-Pacific Asia, it comprises the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the ...

and

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

Oceans, ophidiasterids are greatest in diversity in the Indo-Pacific. Many of the genera in this family exhibit brilliant colors and patterns, which sometimes can be attributed to

aposematism Aposematism is the advertising by an animal to potential predators that it is not worth attacking or eating. This unprofitability may consist of any defences which make the prey difficult to kill and eat, such as toxicity, venom, foul taste or ...

and

crypsis In ecology, crypsis is the ability of an animal or a plant to avoid observation or detection by other animals. It may be a predation strategy or an antipredator adaptation. Methods include camouflage, nocturnality, subterranean lifestyle and ...

to protect themselves from predators. Some ophidiasterids possess remarkable powers of regeneration, enabling them to either

reproduce asexually Asexual reproduction is a type of reproduction that does not involve the fusion of gametes or change in the number of chromosomes. The offspring that arise by asexual reproduction from either unicellular or multicellular organisms inherit the fu ...

or to survive serious damage made by predators or forces of nature (an example for this is the genus ''

Linckia ''Linckia'' is a genus of sea stars found mainly in the Indo-Pacific region. They are known to be creatures with remarkable regenerative abilities, and capable of defensive autotomy against predators. They reproduce asexually. The genus is name ...

''). Some species belonging to ''Linckia'', ''Ophidiaster'' See last paragraph in review above Analysis and ''Phataria'' shed single arms that regenerate the disc and the remaining rays to form a complete individual. Some of these also reproduce asexually by

parthenogenesis Parthenogenesis (; from the Greek grc, παρθένος, translit=parthénos, lit=virgin, label=none + grc, γένεσις, translit=génesis, lit=creation, label=none) is a natural form of asexual reproduction in which growth and development ...

. The name of the family is taken from the genus ''Ophidiaster'', whose limbs are slender, semitubular and serpentine.

Systematics

These genera are accepted in the World Register of Marine Species:Ophidiasteridae
World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 2011-10-17. * ''

Andora Andora ( lij, Andeua), or Marina di Andora, is a town on the Italian Riviera in the region of Liguria, included in the province of Savona. Geography and climate Andora is situated in the western part of the Italian Riviera between Capo Mele i ...

'' A.M. Clark, 1967 -- 4 species * '' Bunaster'' Döderlein, 1896 -- 4 species * '' Certonardoa'' H.L. Clark, 1921 -- 1 species * '' Cistina'' Gray, 1840 -- 1 species * '' Copidaster'' A.H. Clark, 1948 -- 3 species * '' Dactylosaster'' Gray, 1840 -- 1 species * '' Devania'' Marsh, 1974 -- 1 species * '' Dissogenes'' Fisher, 1913 -- 2 species * '' Drachmaster'' Downey, 1970 -- 1 species * '' Gomophia'' Gray, 1840 -- 4 species * '' Hacelia'' Gray, 1840 -- 5 species * '' Heteronardoa'' Hayashi, 1973 -- 2 species * '' Leiaster'' Peters, 1852 -- 5 species * ''

'' Nardo, 1834 -- 9 species * ''

Narcissia ''Narcissia'' is a genus of echinoderms belonging to the family Ophidiasteridae. The species of this genus are found in Africa and America. Species: *'' Narcissia ahearnae'' *'' Narcissia canariensis'' *'' Narcissia gracilis'' *'' Narcissi ...

'' Gray, 1840 -- 4 species * '' Nardoa'' Gray, 1840 -- 9 species * '' Oneria'' Rowe, 1981 -- 1 species * '' Ophidiaster'' L. Agassiz, 1836 -- 24 species * ''

Pharia Hvar (; Chakavian: ''Hvor'' or ''For'', el, Φάρος, Pharos, la, Pharia, it, Lesina) is a Croatian island in the Adriatic Sea, located off the Dalmatian coast, lying between the islands of Brač, Vis and Korčula. Approximately long, wi ...

'' Gray, 1840 -- 1 species * '' Phataria'' Gray, 1840 -- 2 species * '' Plenardoa'' H.L. Clark, 1921 -- 1 species * '' Pseudophidiaster'' H.L. Clark, 1916 -- 1 species * '' Tamaria'' Gray, 1840 -- 18 species ; Fossil genera: * †'' Chariaster'' * †'' Sladenia'' Image:Celerina heffernani, Papua New Guinea, 12-0038.jpg, ''

Celerina heffernani Celerina/Schlarigna (German/Italian ''Celerina''; Romansh ) is a municipality in the Maloja Region in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. History Celerina/Schlarigna was first mentioned in 1313 as ''Schellarin'' and in 1320 as ''Celarina''. In 1 ...

'' Image:Certonardoa semiregularis ja01.jpg, '' Certonardoa semiregularis'' Image:Dactylosaster cylindricus.jpg, '' Dactylosaster cylindricus'' Image:Egyptian sea star.JPG, ''

Gomophia egyptiaca ''Gomophia egyptiaca'', sometimes called the Egyptian sea star, is a species of sea star from Ophidiasteridae family found throughout much of the Indo-Pacific The Indo-Pacific is a vast biogeographic region of Earth. In a narrow sense, s ...

'' Image:Hacelia attenuata.jpg, '' Hacelia attenuata'' Image:Leiaster speciosus.JPG, '' Leiaster speciosus'' Image:BlueSeaStar 2.jpg, ''

Linckia laevigata ''Linckia laevigata'' (sometimes called the "blue ''Linckia''" or blue star) is a species of sea star in the shallow waters of tropical Indo-Pacific. Description and characteristics The variation ("polymorphism", in this case, a "color morph" ...

'' Image:Nardoa novaecaledoniae.jpg, '' Nardoa novaecaledoniae'' Image:Capo Gallo Ophidiaster ophidianus.jpg, ''

Ophidiaster ophidianus ''Ophidiaster ophidianus'', the purple starfish, is a species of starfish from the East Atlantic (from mainland Portugal and the Azores down to the Gulf of Guinea) and the Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atla ...

'' Image:Phataria unifascialis.jpg, '' Phataria unifascialis'' Image:Tamaria halperni.jpg, '' Tamaria halperni''

References

External links

Classification of the Extant Echinodermata
Valvatida Aposematic animals Echinoderm families {{Asteroidea-stub