ASTERINIDAE Gray 1840

Yiu, Sam King Fung & Mah, Christopher L., 2024, New Ecological Observations and Occurrence for Asteroidea and Echinoidea in Hong Kong, Zootaxa 5526 (1), pp. 1-69 : 36-37

ASTERINIDAE Gray 1840

The Asterinidae is among the most diverse groups within the Valvatacea, containing over 150 species within 25 genera with species present in nearly every marine setting, except the Arctic. Asterinids have undergone extensive revisions based on molecular phylogenetic analysis ( O’Loughlin & Waters 2004; Waters et al. 2006). Further understanding of diversity and recognition of subgroupings within the Asterinidae , such as that of the Ganeriinae , which was previously a separate family, has continued based on further phylogenetic sampling ( Mah & Foltz 2011; Mah & Fujita 2020). In addition to taxa supported by molecular phylogenetic evidence, newly discovered endoskeletal characters have provided further diagnostic features for multiple taxa within the Asterinidae ( O’Loughlin & Waters 2004) .

Liao & Clark (1995) note seven species of asterinids from southern China, with only two species previously recorded from Hong Kong, Indianastra sarasini (deLoriol 1897) (as Asterina orthodon ) and Aquilonastra imbookengi (Smith 1927) . Two further species, Anseropoda rosacea and Aquilonastra cepheus have been added to the asterinids known to occur in Hong Kong.

A survey of asterinid images (n=20) from iNaturalist (2024b) from Hong Kong suggests a diversity of species which unfortunately require specimen dissection for definitive taxon identification. It is plausible that further taxa, especially species based on the diverse body shapes observed, remain to be found in Hong Kong.