Australian Biological Resources Study

Australian Faunal Directory

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Family ASTERINIDAE


Compiler and date details

July 2012 - Tim O’Hara, Museum Victoria

F.W.E. Rowe & J. Gates, Australian Museum, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia (1995) Updated (2001) by Tim O'Hara, Museum Victoria, Carlton, Victoria, Australia

Introduction

The Asterinidae are a cosmopolitan family of 18 genera. Eight genera and 37 species are recorded in the Australian fauna.

Asterinids are distinguished from other families in the order Valvatida by the following combination of character states: arms five (sometimes more); body form stellate (sometimes with finger-like rays) to pentagonal, fissiparous or non-fissiparous; minute marginals normally present; aboral skeleton composed of imbricated plates bearing grouped or single spinelets which may be granuliform; and actinal intermediate plates in regular transverse or longitudinal series.

 

History of changes

Note that this list may be incomplete for dates prior to September 2013.
Published As part of group Action Date Action Type Compiler(s)
14-Sep-2015 ASTERINIDAE 09-Sep-2015 REVIEWED
15-Sep-2023 04-Dec-2012 MODIFIED
12-Feb-2010 (import)