The Oreasteridae are a family of
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 in the class Asteroidea.
Description and characteristics
This family contains many species of regular starfishes with usually 5 arms around a stiff, convex and often brightly colored body. Whereas some species are very easy to identify, like the "pincushion seastars" (''
Culcita sp.''), some other can be difficult to tell apart.
Selected genera
: List source :
[
* genus '' Acheronaster'' H.E.S. Clark, 1982 -- 1 species
* genus '' Anthaster'' Döderlein, 1915 -- 1 species
* genus '' Anthenea'' Gray, 1840 -- 22 species
* genus '' Astrosarkus'' Mah, 2003 -- 1 species
* genus '' Bothriaster'' Döderlein, 1916 -- 1 species][Probably just the juvenile form of '' Choriaster''.]
* genus '' Choriaster'' Lutken, 1869 -- 1 species
* genus '' Culcita'' Agassiz, 1836 -- 3 species
* genus '' Goniodiscaster'' H.L. Clark, 1909 -- 14 species
* genus ''Gymnanthenea
''Gymnanthenea'' is a genus of sea star
Starfish or sea stars are star-shaped echinoderms belonging to the class Asteroidea (). Common usage frequently finds these names being also applied to ophiuroids, which are correctly referred to as ...
'' H.L. Clark, 1938 -- 2 species
* genus ''Halityle
''Halityle regularis'', commonly known as the mosaic cushion star, is a species of sea star in the family Oreasteridae. It is the sole species in the genus ''Halityle''.
Distribution
The mosaic cushion star is found in the Western Central Pacifi ...
'' Fisher, 1913 -- 1 species
* genus ''Monachaster
''Monachaster sanderi'' is a species of sea stars in the family Oreasteridae. It is the monotypic, sole species in the genus ''Monachaster''.
References
Oreasteridae
Asteroidea genera
Monotypic echinoderm genera
Taxa named by Ludwig Hein ...
'' Döderlein, 1916 -- 1 species
* genus '' Nectriaster'' H.L. Clark, 1946 -- 1 species
* genus ''Nidorellia
''Nidorellia armata'', also known as the chocolate chip star (leading to easy confusion with ''Protoreaster nodosus''), is a species of starfish from warmer parts of the East Pacific, where it ranges from the Gulf of California to northwest Peru ...
'' Gray, 1840 -- 1 species
* genus '' Oreaster'' Müller & Troschel, 1842 -- 2 species
* genus '' Pentaceraster'' Döderlein, 1916 -- 14 species
* genus ''Pentaster
''Pentaster'' is a genus of sea stars in the family Oreasteridae. It is also known as the Blunt Arm Sea Star.
Taxonomy
List of species according to the World Register of Marine Species:
* ''Pentaster hybridus'' Döderlein, 1936
* ''Pentaster o ...
'' Döderlein, 1935 -- 2 species
* genus '' Poraster'' Döderlein, 1916 -- 1 species
* genus ''Protoreaster
''Protoreaster'' is a genus of sea stars in the family Oreasteridae from the Indo-Pacific. They are sometimes seen in the marine aquarium trade.
Species
The following species are in the genus:
Bibliography
*
References
Oreasteridae ...
'' Döderlein, 1916 -- 3 species
* genus '' Pseudanthenea'' Döderlein, 1915 -- 1 species
* genus '' Pseudoreaster'' Verrill, 1899 -- 1 species
Image:Anthaster valvulatus P1192613.JPG, '' Anthaster valvulatus''
Image:Cake sea star (Anthenea aspera) 2.jpg, '' Anthenea aspera''
Image:Astrosarkus idipi.jpg, '' Astrosarkus idipi'' (dried, MNHN
The French National Museum of Natural History, known in French as the ' (abbreviation MNHN), is the national natural history museum of France and a ' of higher education part of Sorbonne Universities. The main museum, with four galleries, is loca ...
)
Image:Oreasteridae - Choriaster granulatus.jpg, ''Choriaster granulatus
''Choriaster'' is monotypic genus in the family Oreasteridae containing the single species ''Choriaster granulatus'' commonly known as the granulated sea star. Other common names include big-plated sea star and doughboy starfish. This species is ...
''
Image:CulcitanovguineaeJI1.jpg, ''Culcita novaeguineae
''Culcita novaeguineae'' (common name, cushion star) is a species of starfish. It has short arms and an inflated appearance and resembles a pentagonal pincushion. It is variable in colour and can be found in tropical warm waters in the Indo-Paci ...
''
Image:Biscuit sea star (Goniodiscaster scaber) 3.jpg, '' Goniodiscaster scabra''
Image:Spiny sea star (Gymnanthenea laevis).jpg, ''Gymnanthenea laevis
''Gymnanthenea'' is a genus of sea star
Starfish or sea stars are star-shaped echinoderms belonging to the class Asteroidea (). Common usage frequently finds these names being also applied to ophiuroids, which are correctly referred to as ...
''
Image:Halityle regularis.jpg, '' Halityle regularis''
Image:Monachaster sanderi.jpg, '' Monachaster sanderi''
Image:BIOL. RESULTS ENDEAVOUR, Vol. IV, part I. Plate X Nectriaster monacanthus.jpg, '' Nectriaster monacanthus''
Image:Chocolate Chip Starfish.jpg, '' Nidorellia armata''
Image:Oreaster reticulatus (reticulated starfish) (San Salvador Island, Bahamas) 2.jpg, ''Oreaster reticulatus
''Oreaster reticulatus'', commonly known as the red cushion sea star or the West Indian sea star, is a species of marine invertebrate, a starfish in the family Oreasteridae. It is found in shallow water in the western Atlantic Ocean and the Ca ...
''
Image:Star Attraction.jpg, '' Pentaceraster cumingi''
Image:Pentaster obtusatus.jpg, '' Pentaster obtusatus''
Image:Protoreaster nodosus.jpg, ''Protoreaster nodosus
''Protoreaster nodosus'', commonly known as the horned sea star or chocolate chip sea star, is a species of sea star found in the warm, shallow waters of the Indo-Pacific region. They are sometimes seen in the marine aquarium trade or dried and ...
''
Image:Plate 6 (Clark, 1938).jpg, '' Pseudoreaster obtusangulus''
References
External links
* .
Echinoderm families
{{Asteroidea-stub