Family ASTEROPSEIDAE

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Introduction

Members of the six known genera in the family Asteropseidae are found in tropical and warm temperate seas. Three genera and three species are recorded in Australian waters.

This family is distinguished from others within the order Valvatida by the following combination of character states: arms five, body form stellate, ventro-lateral edge distinct; body entirely covered by more or less thickened skin usually obscuring the skeleton at least in large specimens; aboral skeletal plates imbricating or forming reticulum bearing single or numerous spines or with no spines; pedicellariae bivalved, granuliform or elongate tong-shaped; marginal plates well developed; actinal plates in longitudinal series parallel to ambulacra; interbrachial septum reinforced by proximal vertical calcified column.

General References

Blake, D.B. 1980. On the affinities of three small sea-star families. Journal of Natural History 14: 163-182 figs 1-8

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

Clark, A.M. 1984. Notes on Atlantic and other Asteroidea. 4. Families Poraniidae and Asteropseidae. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Zoology 47(1): 19-51

Clark, A.M. 1993. An index of names of recent Asteroidea—Part 2: Valvatida. pp. 187-366 in Jangoux, M. & Lawrence, J.M. (eds). Echinoderm Studies. Rotterdam : A.A. Balkema.

Hotchkiss, F.H.C. & Clark, A.M. 1976. Restriction of the family Poraniidae sensu Spencer & Wright 1966 (Echinodermata: Asteroidea). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Zoology 30(6): 263-268 figs 1-2 pls 1-3

Spencer, W.K. & Wright, C.W. 1966. Asterozoans. pp. U4-U107 figs 1-89 in Moore, R.C. (ed.). Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology. Part U. Echinodermata. 3. Asterozoa-Echinozoa. Kansas : Geological Society of America and University of Kansas Press Vol. 1.

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