Freyellidae

Freyellidae
Freyastera sp. south from Porto Rico (4500m deep).
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Echinodermata
Subphylum:	Eleutherozoa
Class:	Asteroidea
Order:	Brisingida
Family:	Freyellidae Downey, 1986[1][2]
Diversity
6 genera, 48 species

The Freyellidae are a family of deep-sea-dwelling sea stars. It is one of two families in the ordo Brisingida.^[3] The majority of species in this family are found in Antarctic waters and near Australia. Other species have been found near New Zealand and the United States.^[4]

Taxonomy

• Family Freyellidae
  • Genus Astrocles Fisher, 1917 — three species
    • Astrocles actinodetus
    • Astrocles djakonovi
    • Astrocles japonicus
  • Genus Belgicella Ludwig, 1903 — monotypic
    • Belgicella racowitzana
  • Genus Colpaster Sladen, 1889 — two species
    • Colpaster edwardsi
    • Colpaster scutigerula
  • Genus Freyastera Downey, 1986 — six species
    • Freyastera benthophila
    • Freyastera digitata
    • Freyastera mexicana
    • Freyastera mortenseni
    • Freyastera sexradiata
    • Freyastera tuberculata
  • Genus Freyella Perrier, 1885 (synonym: Freyellidea, Fisher, 1917) — 31 species
  • Genus Freyellaster Fisher 1918 — five species
    • Freyellaster fecundus
    • Freyellaster intermedius
    • Freyellaster polycnema
    • Freyellaster scalaris
    • Freyellaster spatulifer

References

• Clark, A.M.and Mah, C. (2001). An index of names of recent Asteroidea, part 4. Forcipulatida and Brisingida, in: Jangoux, M.; Lawrence, J.M. (Ed.) (2001). Echinoderm Studies, 6: pp. 229–347 (look up in IMIS) [details]
• Downey. M.E. (1986). Revision of the Atlantic Brisingida (Echinodermata: Asteroidea), with description of a new genus and family. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology No.435. 57pp.
• Mah, C.; Hansson, H. (2013). Freyella Perrier, 1885. In: Mah, C.L. (2013) World Asteroidea database. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=123217 on 2013-11-25