Family PORANIIDAE

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Introduction

The Poraniidae are a family of seven genera recorded from cold temperate to boreal seas. One genus with a single species is recorded herein from Australian waters, although a second species, identified doubtfully as Marginaster cf paucispinus Fisher, 1913 (a South China Sea species) by A.M. Clark (1962) is recorded from off Maria Is., Tasmania.

Poraniids are distinguished from other asteroid families within the order Valvatida by the following combination of character states: arms five; body form stellate to pentagonal; marginals varying from prominent, more or less overlapping, smooth, or with few spines, to absent; aboral skeleton loosely tessellate or reticulate, covered by skin which is smooth, granulose, or spinulose; interbrachial septa reinforced by vertical plating unless entire skeleton is reduced. Extreme forms may have no solid skeleton except some axial elements.

General References

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. 1962. Asteroidea. Report of the British, Australian and New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition, 1928–31 B 9(1): 1-104

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

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

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