Family Pachastrellidae Carter, 1875

Diagnosis: Astrophorida with a majority of amphiasters as streptasters (never spirasters) in combination with large calthrops and/or short-shafted mesotriaenes or mesotrider desmas. A variety of monaxonic spicules can be present: microxeas, microrhabds, microstrongyles and microrhabdose streptasters (Cárdenas et al. 2011).

Genera: Brachiaster, Nethea, Pachastrella, Triptolemma .