Morphological diagnoses of higher taxa in Ophiuroidea (Echinodermata) in support of a new classification
Author
Stöhr, Sabine
Author
Hugall, Andrew F.
Author
Thuy, Ben
Author
Martynov, Alexander
text
European Journal of Taxonomy
2018
2018-03-21
416
1
35
journal article
22339
10.5852/ejt.2018.416
2eebb037-4ab1-433c-a9f6-8fe319e9fda9
3806109
AD094812-5768-43E9-BCC2-9226E69F0820
Family
Astrophiuridae
Sladen, 1879a
Type
genus
Astrophiura
Sladen, 1879a
(
Type
species:
A
.
permira
Sladen, 1879b
).
Other genera
Ophiomisidium
Koehler, 1914
,
Ophiophycis
Koehler, 1901
.
Diagnosis
Dorsal disc composed of very obvious primary plates, interradial plates and radial shields, few or no disc scales. Single apical ventralmost tooth. No genital papillae, no arm combs. Strongly paedomorphic genera with reduced skeleton;
Astrophiura
with highly modified lateral arm plates on proximal joints. Arm spine articulation as simple muscle opening, bordered by thickened stereom, nerve opening reduced.