Zoroasteridae Explained

The Zoroasteridae are one of three families of Asteroidea (sea stars) in the order Forcipulatida. It contains seven living genera and one extinct genus.^[1]

Genera

The living genera described are:

• Bythiolophus Fisher, 1916 (monotypic)
  • B. acanthinus Fisher, 1916
• Cnemidaster Sladen, 1889 (six species)
• Doraster Downey, 1970 (monotypic)
  • D. constellatus Downey, 1970
• Myxoderma Fisher, 1905 (five species)
• Pholidaster Sladen, 1889 (monotypic)
  • P. squamatus Sladen, 1889
• Sagenaster Mah, 2007 (monotypic)
  • S. evermanni (Fisher, 1905)
• Zoroaster Thomson, 1873 (20 species)

The extinct genus known is:

• Terminaster Hess, 1974†

Distribution

Species in this family are widespread, distributed mainly in Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans. A few are found in the Arctic and Antarctic Oceans.^[2]

References

• Sladen, W.P. (1889). Report on the Asteroidea. Report on the Scientific Results of the Voyage of H.M.S. Challenger during the years 1873–1876, Zoology 30(51): xlii + 893 pages 118 plates.
• Hansson, H.G. (2001). Echinodermata, in: Costello, M.J. et al. (Ed.) (2001). European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Collection Patrimoines Naturels, 50: pp. 336–351 (look up in IMIS)

Further reading

EOL.org

• Mah . C . 2007 . Phylogeny of the Zoroasteridae (Zorocallina;Forcipulatida): evolutionary events in deep-sea Asteroidea displaying Palaeozoic features . 10.1111/j.1096-3642.2007.00291.x . Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society . 150 . 177–210 . free .
• McKnight . D.G. . 1977 . A note on the order Zorocallida (Asteroidea: Echinodermata) . New Zealand Oceanographic Institute Records . 3 . 18. 159–161 .
• Downey . M.E. . 1970 . Zorocallida, new order, and Doraster constellatus, new genus and species, with notes on the Zoroasteridae . Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology . 64 . 1–18 . 10.5479/si.00810282.64 .
• Fisher . W.K. . 1919 . North Pacific Zoroasteridae . Annals and Magazine of Natural History . 3 . 9. 387–393 . 10.1080/00222931908673833 .

Notes and References

1. http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=123125 Marinespecies.org
2. https://www.gbif.org/species/9471 GBIF.org