Zoroasteridae

Zoroasteridae
Zoroaster fulgens
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Echinodermata
Class:	Asteroidea
Order:	Forcipulatida
Family:	Zoroasteridae Viguier, 1878 [1]
Diversity
7 living genera, 35 species, See text.

The Zoroasteridae are one of three families of Asteroidea (sea stars) in the order Forcipulatida. It contains seven living genera and one extinct genus.^[2]

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.^[3]

References

1. Mah, Christopher (2013). Mah CL (ed.). "Heliasteridae". World Asteroidea Database. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 2013-11-16.
2. Marinespecies.org
3. GBIF.org

• 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". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 150: 177–210. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.2007.00291.x.
• 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. doi:10.5479/si.00810282.64.
• Fisher, W.K. (1919). "North Pacific Zoroasteridae". Annals and Magazine of Natural History. 3 (9): 387–393. doi:10.1080/00222931908673833.