Description
Starfish of the Order Forcipulata (with pedicellariae), with usually 5, rather short and tapering arms which are not sharply defined against the disc. The skeleton of the upper surface is in the form of longitudinal rows of overlapping plates, leaving only small spaces between them for the papulae. The adambulacral plates are all similar. There are four rows of tube-feet. Crossed and straight pedicellariae present, but not on the adambulacral spines.
In the North Sea only one spe cies of this family is found:
- Stichastrella rosea
Remark
The family Stichasteridae was keyed out by Mortensen (1927), but often not acknowledged in former and more recent works.
The genus Stichastrella Verrill, 1914 is commonly placed in the family
Asteriidae Gray, 1840.