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Wikipedia / Brisingida

The Brisingids are deep-sea-dwelling starfish in the order Brisingida.

Description

These starfish have between 6 and 16 long, attenuated arms which they use for suspension feeding. Other characteristics include a single series of marginals, a fused ring of disc plates, the lack of actinal plates, a spool-like ambulacral column, reduced abactinal plates, and crossed pedicellariae. They are 40 times the size of disk radius and have 7–20 flexible spiny arms.

Distribution

Brisingida occur in a number of deep-sea locations, particularly in the Caribbean and New Zealand. This type of species are found of varying size especially in the eastern Pacific Ocean at a depth of 1,820–2,418 m.

Taxonomy

The Brisingida contain two families, with 18 genera:

Family Brisingidae, G.O. Sars, 1875

  • Genus Astrolirus, Fisher, 1917 — (two species)

  • Genus Astrostephane, Fisher, 1917 — (two species)

  • Genus Brisinga Asbjørnsen, 1856 (synonym: Craterobrisinga, Fisher, 1916) — (20 species)

  • Genus Brisingaster Loriol, 1883 — (monotypic)

  • Genus Brisingella Fisher, 1917 — (monotypic)

  • Genus Brisingenes Fisher, 1917 — (four species)

  • Genus Hymenodiscus Perrier, 1884 — (16 species)

  • Genus Midgardia Downey, 1972 — (monotypic)

  • Genus Novodinia Dartnall, Pawson, Pope & B.J. Smith, 1969 (synonym: Odinia, Perrier, 1885) — (13 species)

  • Genus Odinella Fisher, 1940 — (monotypic)

  • Genus Stegnobrisinga Fisher, 1916 — (three species)

Family Freyellidae, Downey, 1986

  • Genus Astrocles Fisher, 1917 — (three species)

  • Genus Belgicella Ludwig, 1903 — (monotypic)

  • Genus Colpaster Sladen, 1889 — (two species)

  • Genus Freyastera Downey, 1986 — (six species)

  • Genus Freyella Perrier, 1885 (synonym: Freyellidea, Fisher, 1917) — (31 species)

  • Genus Freyellaster Fisher 1918 — (five species)

References

Further reading

  • 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) [details]

  • Clark, A.M. and M.E. Downey. (1992). Starfishes of the Atlantic. Chapman & Hall Identification Guides, 3. Chapman & Hall: London, UK. . xxvi, 794 pp. (look up in IMIS) [details]

  • Downey. M.E. (1986). Revision of the Atlantic Brisingida (Echinodermata: Asteroidea), with description of a new genus and family. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology No.435. 57pp. [details]

  • Fisher, W.K. (1917). New genera and species of Brisingidae. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 20(8): 418–431. [details]

  • 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. [details]

  • Clark, A.M.and Mah, C. (2001). An index of names of recent Asteroidea, part 4. Forcipulatida and Brisingida, in: Jangoux, M.; Lawrence, J.M. (Ed.) (2001). Echinoderm Studies, 6: pp.229–347 (look up in IMIS) [details]