Asterinidae, Gray, 1840

O’Loughlin, P. Mark & Waters, Jonathan M., 2004, A molecular and morphological revision of genera of Asterinidae (Echinodermata: Asteroidea), Memoirs of Museum Victoria 61 (1), pp. 1-40 : 4-5

Key to genera of Asterinidae

1. Furrow spines in longitudinal arrangement on adambulacral plates (fig. 16d); 2 series of tube feet in each ambulacrum; lacking internal plated brood chambers....................................2

— Furrow spines in vertical series on adambulacral plates (fig. 17f); 4 series of tube feet; internal plated brood chambers with abactinal and actinal interradial openings............................... Tremaster Verrill

2. Rays narrow at base, to varying degrees subcylindrical or digitiform (fig. 2j)............................ 3

— Rays broad at base or not discrete, not subcylindrical or digitiform (figs 2b, i).......................... 6

3. Superambulacral series of plates present (fig. 4a)..... 4

— Lacking superambulacral, transactinal and superactinal plates (fig. 16g)... Pseudopatiria O’Loughlin gen. nov.

4. Superactinal plates present (fig. 4b)............... 5

— Superactinal plates absent (fig. 14e)...................................... Pseudonepanthia A.H. Clark

5. Rays narrowly flat actinally, marginal edge weakly angular; pedicellariae present; transactinal plates present (fig. 4f)......................... Nepanthia Gray

— Rays broadly flat actinally, marginal edge strongly angular (fig. 10d); lacking pedicellariae; lacking transactinal plates........................ Callopatiria Verrill

6. Interradii very thin; abactinal and actinal plates interiorly contiguous throughout the interradii (fig. 7)......... 7

— Interradii not very thin; abactinal and actinal interradial plates contiguous or connected by superactinal plates distally only (fig. 15c)........................... 9

7. Body arched; furrow spines project actinally, in continuous series, with integument and granule cover (fig. 17c); actinal spines glassy thorn-tipped (fig. 17d)......................................... Stegnaster Sladen

— Body not arched; furrow spines not projecting actinally, in webbed groups on adambulacral plates, not covered with integument and granules; actinal spines not glassy thorn-tipped..................................... 8

8. Abactinal spinelets sacciform; interradii extensively supported by long thin articulating interior projections from abactinal and actinal plates (fig. 7).. Anseropoda Nardo

— Abactinal spinelets granuliform; interradii extensively supported interiorly by contiguous imbricating abactinal and actinal plates........ Pseudasterina Aziz and Jangoux

9. Lacking superambulacral, transactinal and superactinal plates..................................... 10

— One or both of superambulacral and superactinal plates present.................................... 13

10. Abactinal body covered by thick integument with subgranular spinelets; body typically in high arched (domed) shape (fig. 17e); abactinal interradial plate arrangement irregular........................... Kampylaster Koehler

— Body not covered by thick integument with subgranular spinelets; body rarely in high arched (domed) shape; abactinal interradial plate arrangement regular...... 11

11. Abactinal spinelets glassy, acicular or subsacciform, in tufts (fig. 8f) or paxilliform (fig. 8i); inferomarginal plates with distal tuft of spinelets (fig. 8h).. Asterinides Verrill

— Abactinal spinelets opaque, granuliform or digitiform, not in tufts or paxilliform; inferomarginal spinelets not in distal tufts................................. 12

12. Rays discrete; abactinal spinelets columnar to digitiform (fig. 6a) (Atlantic, Mediterranean)..... Asterina Nardo

— Rays not discrete, margin straight or slightly incurved; abactinal spinelets granuliform (fig. 5a) (temperate Indo-Pacific).................. Meridiastra O’Loughlin

13. Abactinal and actinal plates with dense subpaxilliform tufts of glassy acicular subsacciform spinelets and spines (fig. 5c); lacking superambulacral plates (fig. 15c)................................ Paranepanthia Fisher

— Abactinal spinelets and actinal spines not in dense subpaxilliform tufts; superambulacral plates present....... 14

14. Abactinal spinelets glassy, acicular or sacciform or splaytipped sacciform or long thin conical (fig. 13c)......15

— Abactinal spinelets opaque, granuliform or digitiform, or short thin to thick columnar (fig. 15d)............ 18

15. Abactinal plates with numerous firmly attached, glassy spinelets (fig. 9f); superomarginal spinelets same as those on abactinal plates (fig. 9d)....................................... Aquilonastra O’Loughlin gen. nov.

— Abactinal plates with very fine glassy spinelets, numerous to none, weakly attached (fig. 13c); superomarginal spinelets few to none (fig. 13d)................. 16

16. Abactinal plates loosely contiguous leaving non-plated spaces (fig. 12); distal abactinal plates in series perpendicular or zig-zag to margin (fig. 12a); superomarginal plates small, not in regular series; inferomarginal plates with stout sacciform spinelets (fig. 10e).. Disasterina Perrier

— Abactinal plates imbricate, always contiguous; distal abactinal plates not in perpendicular series to margin; superomarginal plates in distinct regular series; inferomarginal spinelets not stout sacciform............ 17

17. Body low; abactinal plates small, thin, deeply notched, up to 6 series along each side of rays (fig. 13b); inferomarginal spinelets acicular, in dense integument-covered tufts (fig. 13d)...... Indianastra O’Loughlin gen. nov.

— Body high; abactinal plates large, thick, shallow notches or crescentiform, up to 3 series along side of rays (fig. 18a); inferomarginal spinelets discrete, not in dense integument-covered tufts................ Tegulaster Livingstone

18. Form subpentagonal to medium-rayed stellate; large papular spaces; numerous papulae and secondary plates per space (fig. 15f)........................... 19

— Form pentagonal to subpentagonal; small papular spaces; few papulae and secondary plates per space (fig. 11b)..20

19. Abactinal plates with close subpaxilliform cover of spinelets; spinelets thick to thin, short columnar or sub-globose (figs 15d, e); more than 3 spines on mid-interradial actinal plates............... Patiria Gray

— Spinelets on abactinal plates not in close subpaxilliform cover; spinelets granuliform or digitiform (fig. 16e); up to 3 spines on mid-interradial actinal plates Patiriella Verrill

20. Superomarginal plates typically in prominent series, longitudinally subrectangular; inferomarginal plates project narrowly to define the margin; abactinal papular spaces with predominantly 1 papula (fig. 11a); midray and distal actinal interradial plates frequently with 1 spine............................. Cryptasterina Dartnall et al.

— Superomarginal and inferomarginal plates typically subequal; inferomarginal plates project prominently to define margin; abactinal papular spaces frequently with more than 1 papula (fig. 11b); midray and distal actinal interradial plates frequently with 2 spines (fig. 16c)............................. Parvulastra O’Loughlin gen. nov.