New genera, species and occurrence records of Goniasteridae (Asteroidea; Echinodermata) from the Indian Ocean
Author
Mah, Christopher L.
text
Zootaxa
2018
2018-12-21
4539
1
1
116
journal article
27726
10.11646/zootaxa.4539.1.1
e7c7a589-9f74-4546-9a7b-c3192b9659e5
1175-5326
2615911
2C72727B-79C5-407F-BD92-B12F98196800
Goniasteridae Forbes 1841
Comments.
As per the molecular revision by
Mah and Foltz (2011)
, the
Pseudarchasteridae
, such as
Pseudarchaster
and
Paragonaster
, were removed to the
Paxillosida
and are not included herein. Several goniasterid-like genera, including
Fromia
and
Neoferdina
which have historically been included within the
Ophidiasteridae
were also re-classified within the
Goniasteridae (
Mah and Foltz 2011
)
. This is dealt with in more detail by
Mah (2017)
.
Several members of the
Oreasteridae
have historically been treated as members of the
Goniasteridae
, including
Goniodiscaster
,
Monachaster
and
Stellasteropsis
;
these genera and
Anthenea
are all assigned to the
Goniasteridae
. The traditional oreasterid assignment appears to have been based largely on robust skeletal development, argued here to be unreliable as a synapomorphy.
Nectria
, for example, shares numerous characters shared with
Mediaster
and other members of the “
Mediaster
” clade, including
Rosaster
but has been incorrectly assigned in the
Oreasteridae
(e.g.,
Gates and Rowe 1995
). These genera are discussed in further detail herein.