Pterasteridae

Pterasteridae Temporal range: Campanian–Recent PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N
Pteraster capensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Echinodermata
Class:	Asteroidea
Order:	Velatida
Family:	Pterasteridae Perrier, 1875
Genera
See text[1]

Pterasteridae is a family of sea stars in the order Velatida, consisting of eight genera.

Description and characteristics

Pterasterids are primarily deep-water, and have an inflated aboral surface. Like many other members of the ordo Velatida, they have a hole in the middle of the central disc called "osculum", from which they can expel mucus for defending against predators.^[2]

Many species brood their young in an internal chamber flushed with seawater.

Fossil pterasterids have been found as early as the upper Campanian of the Cretaceous period.^[3]

Genera

According to the World Register of Marine Species :

• Amembranaster Golotsvan, 1998 -- 1 species
• Benthaster Sladen, 1882 -- 3 species
• Calyptraster Sladen, 1882 -- 5 species
• Diplopteraster Verrill, 1880 -- 7 species
• Euretaster Fisher, 1940 -- 3 species
• Hymenaster Thomson, 1873 -- 51 species
• Hymenasterides Fisher, 1911 -- 2 species
• Pteraster Müller & Troschel, 1842 -- 46 species

• 
  Euretaster insignis
• 
  Hymenaster echinulatus (both faces)
• 
  Hymenaster sp.
• 
  Pteraster stellifer (both faces)
• 
  Pteraster sp.

See also

• Pteraster militaris
• Pteraster tesselatus

External links

• Mah, Christopher L. "Pteraster & kin- Starfish that fight back with mucus!". Echinoblog.

References

1. Mah, C.L. "Pterasteridae Perrier, 1875". World Asteroidea Database. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
2. Mah, Christopher L. "Pteraster & kin- Starfish that fight back with mucus!". Echinoblog.
3. Villier, Loïc; Blake, Daniel B.; Jagt, John W. M.; Kutscher, Manfred (2004). "A preliminary phylogeny of the Pterasteridae (Echinodermata, Asteroidea) and the first fossil record: Late Cretaceous of Germany and Belgium". Paläontologische Zeitschrift. 78 (2): 281–299. doi:10.1007/BF03009226.