Astropecten

Astropecten is a genus of sea stars of the family Astropectinidae.

Identification

These sea stars are similar one to each other and it can be difficult to determine with certainty the species only from a photograph. To have a certain determination, in some cases, animals should be analyzed in the laboratory or using genetic testing, but often it is not possible. In order to determine the species, with a reasonable margin of error, it is necessary to observe the appearance of the animal, in particular, based on some typical features described by principal authors that have analyzed over the years a large number of specimens in the laboratory. The main elements, to determine the various species from photo, are: the appearance of the dorsal marginal plates and spines, the size, the shape of disc and arms. For a good identification by sea photo it is important to take a complete picture of all the subject, a picture of the detail of the marginal plates and to measure as precisely as possible the diameter of the sea star. All this can be done without touching, turning it, or disturbing the animal. Starfishes have two sides: an upper side called “aboral side” (which is normally visible), and a bottom side called “oral side” (which rests on the seabed).

Species

Astropecten acanthifer Sladen, 1883 Astropecten acutiradiatus Tortonese, 1956 Astropecten africanus Koehler, 1911 Astropecten alatus Perrier, 1875 Astropecten alligator Perrier, 1881 Astropecten americanus Verrill, 1880 Astropecten anacanthus H.L. Clark, 1926 Astropecten andersoni Sladen, 1888 Astropecten antillensis Lütken, 1859 Astropecten aranciacus (Linnaeus, 1758) Astropecten armatus Gray, 1840 Astropecten articulatus (Say, 1825) Astropecten bandanus Doderlein, 1917 Astropecten bengalensis Doderlein, 1917 Astropecten benthophilus Ludwig, 1905 Astropecten bispinosus (Otto, 1823) Astropecten brasiliensis Müller & Troschel, 1842 Astropecten brevispinus Sladen, 1883 Astropecten carcharicus Doderlein, 1917 Astropecten caribemexicanensis Caso, 1990 Astropecten celebensis Doderlein, 1917 Astropecten cingulatus Sladen, 1833 Astropecten comptus Verrill, 1915 Astropecten debilis Koehler, 1910 Astropecten dubiosus Mortensen, 1925 Astropecten duplicatus Gray, 1840 Astropecten eremicus Fisher, 1913 Astropecten eucnemis Fisher, 1919 Astropecten euryacanthus Lutken, 1871 Astropecten exiguus Ludwig, 1905 Astropecten exilis Mortensen, 1933 Astropecten fasciatus Doderlein, 1926 Astropecten formosus Sladen, 1878 Astropecten fragilis Verrill, 1870 Astropecten gisselbrechti Doderlein, 1917 Astropecten granulatus Müller & Troschel, 1842 Astropecten griegi Koehler, 1909 Astropecten gruveli Koehler, 1911 Astropecten guineensis Koehler, 1911 Astropecten hawaiiensis Doderlein, 1917 Astropecten hemprichi Müller & Troschel, 1842 Astropecten hermatophilus Sladen, 1883 Astropecten huepferi Koehler, 1914 Astropecten ibericus Perrier, 1894 Astropecten imbellis Sladen, 1883 Astropecten indicus Doderlein, 1888 Astropecten inutilis Koehler, 1910 Astropecten irregularis (Pennant, 1777) Astropecten jarli Madsen, 1950 Astropecten javanicus Lutken, 1871 Astropecten jonstoni (Delle Chiaje, 1827) Astropecten kagoshimensis de Loriol, 1899 Astropecten latespinosus Meissner, 1892 Astropecten leptus H.L. Clark, 1926 Astropecten liberiensis Koehler, 1914 Astropecten luzonicus Fisher, 1913 Astropecten malayanus Doderlein, 1917 Astropecten mamillatus Koehler, 1914 Astropecten marginatus Gray, 1840 Astropecten mauritianus Gray, 1840 Astropecten michaelseni Koehler, 1914 Astropecten minadensis Doderlein, 1917 Astropecten monacanthus Sladen, 1883 Astropecten nitidus Verrill, 1915 Astropecten novaeguineae Doderlein, 1917 Astropecten nuttingi Verrill, 1915 Astropecten orientalis Doderlein, 1917 Astropecten ornatissimus Fisher, 1906 Astropecten orsinii Leipoldt, 1895 Astropecten pedicellaris Fisher, 1913 Astropecten petalodea Retzius, 1805 Astropecten platyacanthus (Philippi, 1837) Astropecten polyacanthus Müller & Troschel, 1842 Astropecten preissi Müller & Troschel, 1843 Astropecten primigenius Mortensen, 1925 Astropecten productus Fisher, 1906 Astropecten progressor Doderlein, 1917 Astropecten pugnax Koehler, 1910 Astropecten pulcherrimus H.L. Clark, 1938 Astropecten pusillulus Fisher, 1906 Astropecten pusillus Sluiter, 1889 Astropecten regalis Gray, 1840 Astropecten sanctaehelenae Mortensen, 1933 Astropecten sarasinorum Doderlein, 1917 Astropecten scoparius Müller & Troschel, 1842 Astropecten siderialis Verrill, 1914 Astropecten sinicus Doderlein, 1917 Astropecten spiniphorus Madsen, 1950 Astropecten spinulosus (Philippi, 1837) Astropecten sulcatus Ludwig, 1905 Astropecten sumbawanus Doderlein, 1917 Astropecten tamilicus Doderlein, 1888 Astropecten tasmanicus H.E.S Clark & D.G. McKnight, 2000 Astropecten tenellus Fisher, 1913 Astropecten tenuis (Bell, 1894) Astropecten timorensis Doderlein, 1917 Astropecten triacanthus (Goto, 1914) Astropecten triseriatus Müller & Troschel, 1843 Astropecten umbrinus Grube, 1866 Astropecten validispinosus Oguro, 1982 Astropecten vappa Müller & Troschel, 1843 Astropecten variegatus Mortensen, 1933 Astropecten velitaris von Martens, 1865 Astropecten verrilli deLoriol, 1899

Mediterranean species Six species of Astropecten currently live in the Mediterranean Sea: Astropecten aranciacus (Linnaeus, 1758) Astropecten bispinosus (Otto, 1823) Astropecten irregularis (Pennant, 1777) Astropecten jonstoni (Delle Chiaje, 1825) Astropecten platyacanthus (Philippi, 1837) Astropecten spinulosus (Philippi, 1837)

References

Roberto Pillon (2009). Astropecten of the Mediterranean Sea Koehler, Réné. 1921. Faune de France. Echinodermes. Tortonese, Enrico. 1965. Fauna d'Italia. Echinodermata. Tortonese, Enrico. 1934. Annali del Museo civico di storia naturale Giacomo Doria (Volume 57). Emil Edler Von Marenzeller (1875). Revision adriatischer Seesterne. Ludwig, Hubert. 1897. Die Seesterne des Mittelmeeres. Zoologischen station zu Neapel. Ludwig Heinrich Philipp Döderlein. 1921. Die Asteriden der Siboga-Expedition.

External links Downloadable WoRMS: Roberto Pillon (2009). Astropecten of the Mediterranean Sea Downloadable WoRMS: Roberto Pillon (2009). Orientarsi in un mare di stelle WoRMS Jaselli, Luca. “REDESCRIPTION AND FIRST ILLUSTRATION OF THE HOLOTYPE OF ASTROPECTEN MONTALIONIS (MENEGHINI, 1852) [PAXILLOSIDA: ASTROPECTINIDAE.” Atti della Societa Toscana di Scienze Naturali (2018)]