Biology:Pterasteridae
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Short description: Family of starfishes
| Pterasteridae | |
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| Pteraster capensis | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Echinodermata |
| Class: | Asteroidea |
| Order: | Velatida |
| Family: | Pterasteridae Perrier, 1875 |
| Genera[1] | |
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See text | |
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
Hymenaster echinulatus (both faces)
Hymenaster sp.
Pteraster stellifer (both faces)
Pteraster sp.
References
- ↑ Mah, C.L.. "Pterasteridae Perrier, 1875". World Asteroidea Database. http://www.marinespecies.org/Asteroidea/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=123142.
- ↑ Mah, Christopher L. (13 September 2010). "Pteraster & kin- Starfish that fight back with mucus!". http://echinoblog.blogspot.fr/2010/09/pteraster-kin-starfish-that-fight-back.html.
- ↑ 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. Bibcode: 2004PalZ...78..281V.
External links
Wikidata ☰ Q3469990 entry
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