The Shallow-water Crinoid Fauna of Lakshadweep Atolls, North-western Indian Ocean Author Mohammednowshad, B. Department of Science and Technology, Kavaratti- 682555, Union Territory of Lakshadweep, India. & School of Ocean Science and Technology, Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, Panangad, Kochi, 682506 Kerala, India. Author Idreesbabu, K. K. Department of Science and Technology, Kavaratti- 682555, Union Territory of Lakshadweep, India. Author Parameswaran, Usha V. Centre for Marine Living Resources & Ecology, Kendriya Bhavan, Kakkanad, Kochi- 682 037, Kerala, India. Author Messing, Charles G. Nova Southeastern University, Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography, 8000 N Ocean Drive, Dania Beach, FL 33004 USA. Author Sureshkumar, S. School of Ocean Science and Technology, Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, Panangad, Kochi, 682506 Kerala, India. text Zootaxa 2020 2020-06-08 4789 1 247 265 journal article 10.11646/zootaxa.4789.1.9 1175-5326 3884945 376263E2-07B2-4B4B-A8E3-C718FE0FC969 Family COMATULIDAE Fleming, 1828 Diagnosis.— Centrodorsal thick to thin discoidal or pentagonal, rarely stellate; aboral apex broad, cirrus-free, flat or slightly convex or concave, sometimes with narrow, radiating, interradial impressions; centrodorsal cavity less than 30 percent of centrodorsal diameter; adoral surface with interradial furrows for basals. Cirrus sockets without distinct ornament, around centrodorsal margin, never forming vertical columns; absent or few in some species with reduced centrodorsal. Basals rod-shaped. Radial articular facet parallel to oral-aboral axis or nearly so and with shallow fossae; adoral muscle fossae low, narrow bands, always smaller than inter articular ligament fossae. Radial cavity large, with a spongy calcareous filling. Arms 10 or more (up to 180). IBr2 series joined by synarthry, cryptosynarthry, or (in Comatula ) syzygy. Oral pinnules slender, flagellate, of numerous short pinnulars. Distal pinnulars of at least some oral pinnules bearing a comb formed by peg- or bladelike teeth, 1 or 2 per pinnular (abbreviated from Hess & Messing, 2011 ). Remarks.— This family was previously called Comasteridae , which Summers et al. (2014) determined was a junior synonym of Comatulidae (see also Messing & Tay, 2016 ). See Summers et al . (2014) for a discussion of suprageneric taxa within Comatulidae .