Family ASTERODISCIDIDAE

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Introduction

Asterodiscididae are known from three genera from the tropical Indian and Pacific Oceans. Only one genus and seven species are recorded in Australian waters.

This family is distinguished from others in the order Valvatida by the following combination of character states: arms five; size moderate; body form stellate to pentagonal; aboral skeleton reticulate, with a group of papulae between the plates; marginal plates few, spaced apart, usually inconspicuous but terminal superomarginal often massive, actinal papulae absent; interbrachial septum membranous; tube feet without spicules, with terminal disc.

General References

Blake, D.B. 1987. A classification and phylogeny of post-Palaeozoic sea-stars (Asteroidea: Echinodermata). Journal of Natural History 21: 481-528

Rowe, F.W.E. 1977. A new family of Asteroidea (Echinodermata), with the description of five new species and one new subspecies of Asterodiscides. Records of the Australian Museum 31(5): 187-233 figs 1-5

Rowe, F.W.E. 1985. Six new species of Asterodiscides A.M. Clark (Echinodermata: Asteroidea), with a discussion of the origin and distribution of the Asterodiscididae and other 'amphi-Pacific' echinoderms. Bulletin du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris [published 1907-1971] 4 7(A,3): 531-577 fig. 1 pls 1-6

History of changes