| Protoreaster | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Protoreaster linckii | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Echinodermata |
| Class: | Asteroidea |
| Order: | Valvatida |
| Family: | Oreasteridae |
| Genus: | Protoreaster Döderlein, 1916 [1] |
| Species | |
See text. | |
Protoreaster is a genus of sea stars in the family Oreasteridae from the Indo-Pacific. They are sometimes seen in the marine aquarium trade.
The following species are in the genus: [1]
| Image | Scientific name | Common name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Protoreaster linckii (Blainville, 1830) | Red-knobbed starfish | Indian Ocean |
 | Protoreaster nodosus (Linnaeus, 1758) | Chocolate chip sea star | Indian Ocean and western Pacific ocean |
 | Protoreaster nodulosus (Perrier, 1875) | Knobbly seastar | North Western Australia |
Starfish or sea stars are star-shaped echinoderms belonging to the class Asteroidea. Common usage frequently finds these names being also applied to ophiuroids, which are correctly referred to as brittle stars or basket stars. Starfish are also known as asteroids due to being in the class Asteroidea. About 1,900 species of starfish live on the seabed in all the world's oceans, from warm, tropical zones to frigid, polar regions. They are found from the intertidal zone down to abyssal depths, at 6,000 m (20,000 ft) below the surface.
Asterias is a genus of the Asteriidae family of sea stars. It includes several of the best-known species of sea stars, including the (Atlantic) common starfish, Asterias rubens, and the northern Pacific seastar, Asterias amurensis. The genus contains a total of eight species in all. All species have five arms and are native to shallow oceanic areas of cold to temperate parts of the Holarctic. These starfish have planktonic larvae. Asterias amurensis is an invasive species in Australia and can in some years become a pest in the Japanese mariculture industry.
Sea daisies make up an unusual group of deep-sea taxa belonging to the phylum Echinodermata, with three species described in the genus Xyloplax. Intestine and anus are absent.
The Valvatida are an order of starfish in the class Asteroidea, which contains 695 species in 172 genera in 17 families.
Protoreaster nodosus, commonly known as the horned sea star or chocolate chip sea star, is a species of sea star found in the warm, shallow waters of the Indo-Pacific region. They are sometimes seen in the marine aquarium trade or dried and sold as curios.
The Echinasteridae are a family of starfish in the monotypic order Spinulosida. The family includes eight genera and about 133 species found on the seabed in various habitats around the world.
The Asterinidae are a large family of sea stars in the order Valvatida.
Goniasteridae constitute the largest family of sea stars, included in the order Valvatida. They are mostly deep-dwelling species, but the family also include several colorful shallow tropical species.
The Brisingids are deep-sea-dwelling starfish in the order Brisingida.
The Oreasteridae are a family of sea stars in the class Asteroidea.
Thromidia is a genus of starfish in the family Mithrodiidae.
The Zoroasteridae are one of three families of Asteroidea in the order Forcipulatida. It contains seven living genera and one extinct genus.
Nepanthia is a genus of starfish of the family Asterinidae. Members of the genus have four to seven rays and are found in the eastern Pacific Ocean, ranging from Burma and Indonesia to Australia.
Trophodiscus is a genus of starfish in the family Astropectinidae. There are only two species, both found in fairly deep waters in the Sea of Okhotsk. Trophodiscus almus is also found in the Sea of Japan and around the Japanese island of Hokkaido. These starfish are very unusual in that the young are brooded on the upper surface of the female.
Aquilonastra chantalae is a species of starfish from the family Asterinidae. Asterinid sea stars are typically quite small with an often pentagonal-shaped body, though there are exceptions. They are dorsally flattened and have short arms. The body's thin periphery is built up by very small marginal plates. One distinct characteristic of those in this family is the presence of an aboral face shaped by crescent-like plates.
Circeaster is a genus of abyssal sea stars in the family Goniasteridae.
Euretaster insignis, commonly known as the striking sea star, is a species of starfish in the family Pterasteridae found in the central west Pacific Ocean. It is one of only three species in the order Velatida to be found in shallow water in the tropics. The young are brooded in a cavity underneath a "supradorsal" membrane.
Maureen Elizabeth Downey was an American zoologist who worked for three decades at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Known as "The Starfish Lady," she was an authority on sea stars and other echinoderms, co-founding the International Echinoderm Conference in 1972. Among her discoveries is Midgardia xandaros, the world's largest starfish.
Protoreaster lincki, the red knob sea star, red spine star, African sea star, or the African red knob sea star, is a species of starfish from the Indian Ocean.
Cryptasterina is a genus of starfish belonging to the family Asterinidae. They occur in the Indian and Western Pacific Oceans.
 | This article about a starfish is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |