Comatulidae is a family of comatulid crinoids. Since 2015, it replaces the family Comasteridae.
Description and characteristics This family is of recent restoration, and still has no consensual description. However the description of the family Comasteridae remains partially valid.
This family counts between 93 and 95 species, distributed in 21 genera, which makes it the second most diversified family of crinoids the behind Antedonidae, representing approximately 1/6th of known crinoid species. It contains most of the big species of shallow tropical feather stars, in particular in the Indo-Pacific.
List of genera This family has been recently restored following genetic works from Charles Messing's team.
It contains the following genera: subfamily Comatellinae Summers, Messing, Rouse, 2014 genus Alloeocomatella Messing, 1995 -- 2 species genus Comatella AH Clark, 1908 -- 2 species genus Davidaster Hoggett & Rowe, 1986 -- 2 species genus Nemaster AH Clark, 1909 -- 1 species genus Comatilia AH Clark, 1909 -- 1 species genus Comatulides AH Clark, 1918 -- 1 species subfamily Comatulinae Fleming, 1828 tribe Capillasterini AH Clark, 1909 genus Capillaster AH Clark, 1909 -- 8 species tribe Comasterini AH Clark, 1908 genus Anneissia Summers, Messing, Rouse, 2014 -- 8 species genus Cenolia AH Clark, 1916 -- 6 species genus Clarkcomanthus Rowe, Hoggett, Birtles & Vail, 1986 -- 9 species genus Comanthus AH Clark, 1908 -- 11 species genus Comaster L. Agassiz, 1836 -- 4 species tribe Comatulini Fleming, 1828 genus Comactinia AH Clark, 1909 -- 3 species genus Comatula Lamarck, 1816 -- 7 species tribe Neocomatellini Summers, Messing, Rouse, 2014 genus Comatulella AH Clark, 1911 -- 1 species genus Neocomatella AH Clark, 1909 -- 3 species tribe Phanogeniini White & Messing, 2001 (in White & al., 2001) genus Aphanocomaster Messing, 1995 -- 1 species genus Comissia Clark, 1909 -- 14 species genus Phanogenia Lovén, 1866 -- 9 species genus Palaeocomatella AH Clark, 1912 -- 3 species genus Rowemissia Messing, 2001 -- 1 species Comatulidae incertae sedis—6 species
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