Astropecten is a genus of sea stars of the family Astropectinidae .[1]
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Description of arm’s section of starfish genus Astropecten .
1- papulas: they are soft and retractable appendages with respiratory functions
2- paxilla
3- superomarginal spines
4- superomarginal plates
5- scales and small spines covering the vertical face of superomarginal plates
6- ambulacral plates
7- adambulacral plates
8- inferomarginal plates
9- inferomarginal spines
10- pedicellaria : special pedicels with prehensile termination necessary to grab bodies and detritus
11- external adambulacral spines
12- median adambulacral spines
13- internal adambulacral spines
14- ambulacral pedicellaria
Ossicles of an Astropecten irregularis
Ossicles of an Astropecten jonstoni
Flat ossicles of an Astropecten platyacanthus
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 isn’t possible. In order to determine the species, with a reasonable margin of error, it’s 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).[ citation needed ]
General look of an Astropecten
Cross-section of an arm. 1=papula and paxilla, 2=superomarginal plate, 3=inferomarginal plate, 4=ambulacral plates, 5=adambulacral plate
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
Astropecten polycanthus
Astropecten preissei
Astropecten lorioli (extinct, from the
Jurassic )
Mediterranean species
Six species of Astropecten currently live in the Mediterranean Sea:
(in English) Roberto Pillon (2009). Astropecten of the Mediterranean Sea
(in French) Koehler, Réné. 1921. Faune de France. Echinodermes .
(in Italian) Tortonese, Enrico. 1965. Fauna d'Italia. Echinodermata .
(in Italian) Tortonese, Enrico. 1934. Annali del Museo civico di storia naturale Giacomo Doria (Volume 57) .
(in German) Emil Edler Von Marenzeller (1875). Revision adriatischer Seesterne .
(in German) Ludwig, Hubert. 1897. Die Seesterne des Mittelmeeres. Zoologischen station zu Neapel .
(in German) Ludwig Heinrich Philipp Döderlein. 1921. Die Asteriden der Siboga-Expedition .
"Astropecten" . Integrated Taxonomic Information System .