Belongs within: Forcipulatida.
Contains: Leptasterias, Asterias.
The Asteriidae are a family of starfish with a swollen body and both straight and crossed pedicellariae. Of the three subfamilies listed below, the Pycnopodiinae have the aboral skeleton obsolescent whereas Neomorphaster has the primary aboral plates conspicuously enlarged. Pycnopodiinae have inferomarginals with two spines, heavily wreathed with pedicellariae, and no oral intermediate plates. The Asteriinae are composed of more generalised forms that lack the distinctive characters of the other subfamilies (Spencer & Wright 1966).
Characters (from Spencer & Wright 1966): Arms 5 to many; body swollen; ambulacrals and adambulacrals numerous, compressed; adambulacrals transversely elongate, ambulacrals narrow. Tube feet normally in 4 rows; pedicellariae straight and crossed. Aboral skeleton generally reticulate.
Asteriidae
| i. s.: ‘Compsaster’ spiniger (Wright 1880)B02
| Germanasterias amplipapularia Blake 1990SG93
|--Neomorphaster Sladen 1889 [=Glyptaster Sladen 1885 non Hall 1852; incl. Calycaster Perrier 1891; Neomorphasterinae]SW66
| `--*N. eustichus Sladen 1889 [incl. Stichaster talismani Perrier 1891]SW66
|--Pycnopodiinae [Pycnopodiidae]SW66
| |--Pycnopodia Stimpson 1862SW66
| | `--*P. helianthoides (Brandt 1835) [=Asterias helianthoides]SW66
| `--Lysastrosoma Fisher 1922SW66
| `--*L. anthosticta Fisher 1922SW66
`--Asteriinae [Coscinasteriinae, Notasteriinae, Stichasteridae]SW66
|--LeptasteriasSW66
|--AsteriasB02
|--Adelasterias Koehler 1914SW66
| `--*A. papillosa (Koehler 1906) [=Diplasterias papillosa]SW66
|--Allostichaster Verrill 1914SW66
| `--*A. polyplax (Müller & Troschel 1844) [=Asteracanthion polyplax]SW66
|--Aphanasterias Fisher 1923SW66
| `--*A. pycnopodia Fisher 1923SW66
|--Aphelasterias Fisher 1923SW66
| `--*A. japonica (Bell 1881) [=Asterias japonica]SW66
|--Astrometis Fisher 1923SW66
| `--*A. sertulifera (Xantus 1860) [=Asterias sertulifera]SW66
|--Astrostole Fisher 1923SW66
| `--*A. scaber (Hutton 1872) [=Margaraster scaber]SW66
|--Australiaster Fisher 1923SW66
| `--*A. dubius (Clark 1909) [=Coscinasterias dubia]SW66
|--Caimanaster Clark 1962SW66
| `--*C. acutus Clark 1962SW66
|--Carlasterias da Costa 1952 [incl. Mortensenia da Costa 1941 non Döderlein 1906]SW66
| `--*C. lusitanica (da Costa 1941) [=Mortensenia lusitanica]SW66
|--Cosmasterias Sladen 1889 [=Comasterias Perrier 1891; incl. Quadraster Perrier 1896]SW66
| `--C. lurida (Philippi 1858) (see below for synonymy)SW66
|--Cryptasterias Verrill 1914SW66
| `--*C. turqueti (Koehler 1906) [=Diplasterias turqueti]SW66
|--Displasterias Perrier 1888 (see below for synonymy)SW66
| `--*D. brandti (Bell 1881) [=Asterias brandti]SW66
|--Distolasterias Perrier 1896SW66
| `--*D. stichantha (Sladen 1889) [=Asterias (Stolasterias) stichantha]SW66
|--Evasterias Verrill 1914SW66
| `--*E. troscheli (Stimpson 1862) [=Asterias troscheli]SW66
|--Gastraster Perrier 1894SW66
| `--*G. margaritaceus (Perrier 1882) [=Pedicellaster margaritaceus]SW66
|--Granaster Perrier 1894 [incl. Hemiasterias Verrill 1914]SW66
| `--*G. nutrix (Studer 1885) [=Stichaster nutrix]SW66
|--Icasterias Fisher 1923SW66
| `--*I. panopla (Stuxberg 1878) [=Asterias panopla]SW66
|--Kenrickaster Clark 1962SW66
| `--*K. pedicellaris Clark 1962SW66
|--Lethasterias Fisher 1923SW66
| `--*L. nanimensis (Verrill 1914) [=Asterias nanimensis]SW66
|--Lysasterias Fisher 1908 [incl. Anasterias Ludwig 1903 non Perrier 1885, Paedasterias Verrill 1914]SW66
| `--*L. perrieri (Studer 1885) [=Anasterias perrieri]SW66
|--Marthasterias Jullien 1878SW66
| `--M. glacialis (Linnaeus 1758)SW66 (see below for synonymy)
|--Meyenaster Verrill 1913SW66
| `--*M. gelatinosus (Meyen 1834) [=Asterias gelatinosus]SW66
|--Neosmilaster Fisher 1930SW66
| `--*N. georgianus (Studer 1885) [=Asterias georgianus]SW66
|--Notasterias Koehler 1911 [incl. Autasterias Koehler 1911]SW66
| `--*N. armata Koehler 1911SW66
|--Orthasterias Verrill 1914SW66
| `--O. koehleri (de Loriol 1897) [=Asterias koehleri; incl. *O. columbiana Verrill 1914]SW66
|--Perissasterias Clark 1923SW66
| `--*P. polyacantha Clark 1923SW66
|--Psalidaster Fisher 1940SW66
| `--*P. mordax Fisher 1940SW66
|--Pseudechinaster Clark 1962SW66
| `--*P. rubens Clark 1962SW66
|--Saliasterias Koehler 1920SW66
| `--*S. bracheata Koehler 1920SW66
|--Sclerasterias Perrier 1891 [incl. Eustolasterias Fisher 1923]SW66
| `--*S. guernei Perrier 1891SW66
|--Smilasterias Sladen 1889 [incl. Nanaster Perrier 1894]SW66
| `--*S. scalprifera (Sladen 1889) [=Asterias (*Smilasterias) scalprifera]SW66
|--Stenasterias Verrill 1914SW66
| `--*S. macropora (Verrill 1909) [=Asterias (Leptasterias) macropora]SW66
|--Stephanasterias Verrill 1871SW66
| `--*S. albula (Stimpson 1853) [=Asteracanthion albulus]SW66
|--Stichaster Müller & Troschel 1840 [incl. Coelasterias Verrill 1871, Tonia Gray 1840]SW66
| `--*S. aurantiacus (Meyen 1834) [=Asterias aurantiaca]SW66
|--Stichastrella Verrill 1914SW66
| `--*S. rosea (Müller 1776) [=Asterias rosea]SW66
|--Stylasterias Verrill 1914SW66
| `--*S. forreri (de Loriol 1887) [=Asterias forreri]SW66
|--Tarsastrocles Fisher 1923SW66
| `--*T. verrilli (Fisher 1903) [=Hydrasterias verrilli]SW66
|--Triplasterias Engels & Schroevers 1961SW66
| `--*T. mercatoris Engels & Schroevers 1961SW66
|--Uniophora Gray 1840SW66
| `--U. granifera (Lamarck 1816) [=Asterias granifera; incl. *U. globifera Gray 1840]SW66
|--Urasterias Verrill 1909SW66
| `--*U. linckii (Müller & Troschel 1842) [=Asteracanthion linckii]SW66
|--Pisaster Müller & Troschel 1840 [incl. Calliasterias Fewkes 1889]SW66
| |--P. ochraceus (Brandt 1835) (see below for synonymy)SW66
| `--P. giganteus (Stimpson 1857)CWH77
|--Calvasterias Perrier 1875 [incl. Stichorella Koehler 1920]SW66
| |--*C. asterinoides Perrier 1875SW66
| `--C. suteriF67
|--Coscinasterias Verrill 1867SW66
| | i. s.: C. acutispinaWOR04
| | C. calamariaB64
| |--*C. (Coscinasterias) muricata Verrill 1867SW66
| `--C. (Stolasterias Sladen 1889) [incl. Lytaster Perrier 1894, Polyasterias Perrier 1894]SW66
| `--C. (*S.) tenuispina (Lamarck 1816) [=Asterias tenuispina]SW66
`--Anasterias Perrier 1875 (see below for synonymy)SW66
|--*A. (Anasterias) minuta Perrier 1875SW66
|--A. (Kalyptasterias Koehler 1923)SW66
| `--A. (*K.) conferta (Koehler 1923) [=*Kalyptasterias conferta]SW66
`--A. (Sporasterias Perrier 1894)SW66
`--A. (S.) antarctica (Lütken 1856) (see below for synonymy)SW66Anasterias Perrier 1875 [incl. Asteroderma Perrier 1888, Eremasterias Fisher 1930, Parastichaster Koehler 1920]SW66
Anasterias (Sporasterias) antarctica (Lütken 1856) [=Asteracanthion antarcticum; incl. Asterias rugispina Stimpson 1860, *Sporasterias rugispina]SW66
Cosmasterias lurida (Philippi 1858) [=Asteracanthion luridum; incl. A. sulcifer Perrier 1869, *Cosmasterias sulcifer]SW66
Displasterias Perrier 1888 [incl. Bathyasterias Fisher 1930, Koehleraster Fisher 1922 non Lambert & Thiéry 1921, Podasterias Perrier 1894]SW66
Marthasterias glacialis (Linnaeus 1758)SW66 [=Asterias glacialisSW66, Asteracanthion glacialeBK77; incl. *Marthasterias foliacea Jullien 1878SW66]
Pisaster ochraceus (Brandt 1835) [=Asterias ochraceus; incl. Asteracanthion margaritifer Müller & Troschel 1840, *Pisaster margaritifer]SW66
*Type species of generic name indicated
References
[BK77] Barel, C. D. N., & P. G. N. Kramers. 1977. A survey of the echinoderm associates of the north-east Atlantic area. Zoologische Verhandelingen 156: 1–159.
[B64] Bennett, E. W. 1964. The marine fauna of New Zealand: Crustacea Brachyura. New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research Bulletin 153: 1–120.
[B02] Blake, D. B. 2002. Compsaster formosus Worthen & Miller (Asteroidea; Echinodermata): a Carboniferous homeomorph of the post-Paleozoic Asteriidae. Paläontologische Zeitschrift 76 (2): 357–367.
[CWH77] Cooper, J., M. Wieland & A. Hines. 1977. Subtidal abalone populations in an area inhabited by sea otters. Veliger 20 (2): 163–167.
[F67] Fell, H. B. 1967. Echinoderm ontogeny. In: Moore, R. C. (ed.) Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology pt S. Echinodermata 1. General characters. Homalozoa—Crinozoa (except Crinoidea) vol. 1 pp. S60–S85. The Geological Society of America, Inc., and The University of Kansas: Lawrence (Kansas).
[SG93] Simms, M. J., A. S. Gale, P. Gilliland, E. P. F. Rose & G. D. Sevastopulo. 1993. Echinodermata. In: Benton, M. J. (ed.) The Fossil Record 2 pp. 491–528. Chapman & Hall: London.
[SW66] Spencer, W. K., & C. W. Wright. 1966. Asterozoans. In: Moore, R. C. (ed.) Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology pt U. Echinodermata 3 vol. 1 pp. U4–U107. The Geological Society of America, Inc., and The University of Kansas Press.
[WOR04] Waters, J. M., P. M. O’Loughlin & M. S. Roy. 2004. Molecular systematics of some Indo-Pacific asterinids (Echinodermata, Asteroidea): does taxonomy reflect phylogeny? Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 30: 872–878.