Astropecten

{{Short description|Genus of starfishes}} {{Automatic Taxobox | image = Astropecten aranciacus in Tenerife.jpg | image_caption = ''Astropecten aranciacus'' | taxon = Astropecten | authority = Gray, 1840 | subdivision_ranks = Species | subdivision = See text. }} '''''Astropecten''''' is a genus of sea stars of the family Astropectinidae.<ref>{{WoRMS |id=123245 |title = ''Astropecten'' Gray, 1840 |db=Asteroidea }}</ref>

== Identification == [[File:Aculei Astropecten.jpg|thumb|upright=1|right|Description of arm's section of starfish genus ''Astropecten''. 1- papulas: they are soft and retractable appendages with respiratory functions 2- paxilla 3- superomarginal spines 4- superomarginal plates 5- scales and small spines covering the vertical face of superomarginal plates 6- ambulacral plates 7- adambulacral plates 8- inferomarginal plates 9- inferomarginal spines 10- pedicellaria: special pedicels with prehensile termination necessary to grab bodies and detritus 11- external adambulacral spines 12- median adambulacral spines 13- internal adambulacral spines 14- ambulacral pedicellaria]] [[Image:Astropecten irregularis pentacanthus Sardegna09 18cm 5038 dett.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|Ossicles of an ''Astropecten irregularis'']] [[Image:Astropecten jonstoni Naxos08 1967 640x480 dpi90 dett.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|Ossicles of an ''Astropecten jonstoni'']] [[Image:Astropecten platyacanthus Sardegna09 dett2.JPG|thumb|upright=0.8|Flat ossicles of an ''Astropecten platyacanthus'']] These sea stars are similar one to each other and it can be difficult to determine with certainty the species only from a photograph. To have a certain determination, in some cases, animals should be analyzed in the laboratory or using genetic testing, but often it is not possible. In order to determine the species, with a reasonable margin of error, it is necessary to observe the appearance of the animal, in particular, based on some typical features described by principal authors that have analyzed over the years a large number of specimens in the laboratory. The main elements, to determine the various species from photo, are: the appearance of the dorsal marginal plates and spines, the size, the shape of disc and arms. For a good identification by sea photo it is important to take a complete picture of all the subject, a picture of the detail of the marginal plates and to measure as precisely as possible the diameter of the sea star. All this can be done without touching, turning it, or disturbing the animal. Starfishes have two sides: an upper side called “aboral side” (which is normally visible), and a bottom side called “oral side” (which rests on the seabed).{{citation needed|reason=citations needed for entire paragraph|date=September 2014}}

<gallery style="text-align:center;" mode="packed"> The main elements of starfish genus Astropecten.jpg|General look of an ''Astropecten'' Britannica Echinoderma 16 tagged.png|Cross-section of an arm. 1=papula and paxilla, 2=superomarginal plate, 3=inferomarginal plate, 4=ambulacral plates, 5=adambulacral plate Astropecten aranciacus Naxos08 1775 dett.jpg|Ossicles of an ''Astropecten aranciacus'' Astropecten aranciacus.jpg|Armtip of an ''Astropecten aranciacus'' </gallery>

== Species == {{div col|colwidth=30em}} * ''Astropecten acanthifer'' Sladen, 1883 * ''Astropecten acutiradiatus'' Tortonese, 1956 * ''Astropecten africanus'' Koehler, 1911 * ''Astropecten alatus'' Perrier, 1875 * ''Astropecten alligator'' Perrier, 1881 * ''Astropecten americanus'' Verrill, 1880 * ''Astropecten anacanthus'' H.L. Clark, 1926 * ''Astropecten andersoni'' Sladen, 1888 * ''Astropecten antillensis'' Lütken, 1859 * ''Astropecten aranciacus'' (Linnaeus, 1758) * ''Astropecten armatus'' Gray, 1840 * ''Astropecten articulatus'' (Say, 1825) * ''Astropecten bandanus'' Doderlein, 1917 * ''Astropecten bengalensis'' Doderlein, 1917 * ''Astropecten benthophilus'' Ludwig, 1905 * ''Astropecten bispinosus'' (Otto, 1823) * ''Astropecten brasiliensis'' Müller & Troschel, 1842 * ''Astropecten brevispinus'' Sladen, 1883 * ''Astropecten carcharicus'' Doderlein, 1917 * ''Astropecten caribemexicanensis'' Caso, 1990 * ''Astropecten celebensis'' Doderlein, 1917 * ''Astropecten cingulatus'' Sladen, 1833 * ''Astropecten comptus'' Verrill, 1915 * ''Astropecten debilis'' Koehler, 1910 * ''Astropecten dubiosus'' Mortensen, 1925 * ''Astropecten duplicatus'' Gray, 1840 * ''Astropecten eremicus'' Fisher, 1913 * ''Astropecten eucnemis'' Fisher, 1919 * ''Astropecten euryacanthus'' Lutken, 1871 * ''Astropecten exiguus'' Ludwig, 1905 * ''Astropecten exilis'' Mortensen, 1933 * ''Astropecten fasciatus'' Doderlein, 1926 * ''Astropecten formosus'' Sladen, 1878 * ''Astropecten fragilis'' Verrill, 1870 * ''Astropecten gisselbrechti'' Doderlein, 1917 * ''Astropecten granulatus'' Müller & Troschel, 1842 * ''Astropecten griegi'' Koehler, 1909 * ''Astropecten gruveli'' Koehler, 1911 * ''Astropecten guineensis'' Koehler, 1911 * ''Astropecten hawaiiensis'' Doderlein, 1917 * ''Astropecten hemprichi'' Müller & Troschel, 1842 * ''Astropecten hermatophilus'' Sladen, 1883 * ''Astropecten huepferi'' Koehler, 1914 * ''Astropecten ibericus'' Perrier, 1894 * ''Astropecten imbellis'' Sladen, 1883 * ''Astropecten indicus'' Doderlein, 1888 * ''Astropecten inutilis'' Koehler, 1910 * ''Astropecten irregularis'' (Pennant, 1777) * ''Astropecten jarli'' Madsen, 1950 * ''Astropecten javanicus'' Lutken, 1871 * ''Astropecten jonstoni'' (Delle Chiaje, 1827) * ''Astropecten kagoshimensis'' de Loriol, 1899 * ''Astropecten latespinosus'' Meissner, 1892 * ''Astropecten leptus'' H.L. Clark, 1926 * ''Astropecten liberiensis'' Koehler, 1914 * ''Astropecten luzonicus'' Fisher, 1913 * ''Astropecten malayanus'' Doderlein, 1917 * ''Astropecten mamillatus'' Koehler, 1914 * ''Astropecten marginatus'' Gray, 1840 * ''Astropecten mauritianus'' Gray, 1840 * ''Astropecten michaelseni'' Koehler, 1914 * ''Astropecten minadensis'' Doderlein, 1917 * ''Astropecten monacanthus'' Sladen, 1883 * ''Astropecten nitidus'' Verrill, 1915 * ''Astropecten novaeguineae'' Doderlein, 1917 * ''Astropecten nuttingi'' Verrill, 1915 * ''Astropecten orientalis'' Doderlein, 1917 * ''Astropecten ornatissimus'' Fisher, 1906 * ''Astropecten orsinii'' Leipoldt, 1895 * ''Astropecten pedicellaris'' Fisher, 1913 * ''Astropecten petalodea'' Retzius, 1805 * ''Astropecten platyacanthus'' (Philippi, 1837) * ''Astropecten polyacanthus'' Müller & Troschel, 1842 * ''Astropecten preissi'' Müller & Troschel, 1843 * ''Astropecten primigenius'' Mortensen, 1925 * ''Astropecten productus'' Fisher, 1906 * ''Astropecten progressor'' Doderlein, 1917 * ''Astropecten pugnax'' Koehler, 1910 * ''Astropecten pulcherrimus'' H.L. Clark, 1938 * ''Astropecten pusillulus'' Fisher, 1906 * ''Astropecten pusillus'' Sluiter, 1889 * ''Astropecten regalis'' Gray, 1840 * ''Astropecten sanctaehelenae'' Mortensen, 1933 * ''Astropecten sarasinorum'' Doderlein, 1917 * ''Astropecten scoparius'' Müller & Troschel, 1842 * ''Astropecten siderialis'' Verrill, 1914 * ''Astropecten sinicus'' Doderlein, 1917 * ''Astropecten spiniphorus'' Madsen, 1950 * ''Astropecten spinulosus'' (Philippi, 1837) * ''Astropecten sulcatus'' Ludwig, 1905 * ''Astropecten sumbawanus'' Doderlein, 1917 * ''Astropecten tamilicus'' Doderlein, 1888 * ''Astropecten tasmanicus'' H.E.S Clark & D.G. McKnight, 2000 * ''Astropecten tenellus'' Fisher, 1913 * ''Astropecten tenuis'' (Bell, 1894) * ''Astropecten timorensis'' Doderlein, 1917 * ''Astropecten triacanthus'' (Goto, 1914) * ''Astropecten triseriatus'' Müller & Troschel, 1843 * ''Astropecten umbrinus'' Grube, 1866 * ''Astropecten validispinosus'' Oguro, 1982 * ''Astropecten vappa'' Müller & Troschel, 1843 * ''Astropecten variegatus'' Mortensen, 1933 * ''Astropecten velitaris'' von Martens, 1865 * ''Astropecten verrilli'' deLoriol, 1899 {{div col end}}

<gallery style="text-align:center;" mode="packed"> Astropecten aranciacus Sardegna09 28cm 5520.jpg|''Astropecten aranciacus'' Astropectenarmatus.jpg|''Astropecten armatus'' Purple and Orange Starfish on the Beach (2884079538).jpg|''Astropecten articulatus'' Astropecten bispinosus Sardegna06 3284.jpg|''Astropecten bispinosus'' Astropecten irregularis pentacanthus Sardegna09 17cm 5962.jpg|''Astropecten irregularis'' Astropecten jonstoni Naxos08 1832 640x480 dpi90.jpg|''Astropecten jonstoni'' Astropecten platyacanthus Sardegna09 e cm09 5503.jpg|''Astropecten platyacanthus'' Astropecten polycanthus (Starfish).jpg|''Astropecten polycanthus'' Astropecten preissei PC260142.JPG|''Astropecten preissei'' Astropecten spinulosus Croazia09 a 6957.jpg|''Astropecten spinulosus'' Astropecten lorioli.jpg|''Astropecten lorioli'' (extinct, from the Jurassic) </gallery>

=== Mediterranean species === Six species of Astropecten currently live in the Mediterranean Sea: *''Astropecten aranciacus'' (Linnaeus, 1758) *''Astropecten bispinosus'' (Otto, 1823) *''Astropecten irregularis'' (Pennant, 1777) *''Astropecten jonstoni'' (Delle Chiaje, 1825) *''Astropecten platyacanthus'' (Philippi, 1837) *''Astropecten spinulosus'' (Philippi, 1837)

==References== {{Reflist}}

*{{in lang|en}} [http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=sourcedetails&id=286481 Roberto Pillon (2009). Astropecten of the Mediterranean Sea] *{{in lang|fr}} Koehler, Réné. 1921. ''Faune de France. Echinodermes''. *{{in lang|it}} Tortonese, Enrico. 1965. ''Fauna d'Italia. Echinodermata''. *{{in lang|it}} Tortonese, Enrico. 1934. ''Annali del Museo civico di storia naturale Giacomo Doria (Volume 57)''. *{{in lang|de}} Emil Edler Von Marenzeller (1875). ''Revision adriatischer Seesterne''. *{{in lang|de}} Ludwig, Hubert. 1897. ''Die Seesterne des Mittelmeeres. Zoologischen station zu Neapel''. *{{in lang|de}} Ludwig Heinrich Philipp Döderlein. 1921. ''Die Asteriden der Siboga-Expedition''. * {{ITIS |taxon=Astropecten |id=156901}}

== External links == *{{in lang|en}} [http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=sourcedetails&id=286481 Downloadable WoRMS: Roberto Pillon (2009). Astropecten of the Mediterranean Sea] *{{in lang|it}} [http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=sourcedetails&id=286482 Downloadable WoRMS: Roberto Pillon (2009). Orientarsi in un mare di stelle] *{{in lang|en}} [http://www.marinespecies.org/ WoRMS] * [https://www.academia.edu/39285675/REDESCRIPTION_AND_FIRST_ILLUSTRATION_OF_THE_HOLOTYPE_OF_ASTROPECTEN_MONTALIONIS_MENEGHINI_1852_PAXILLOSIDA_ASTROPECTINIDAE_?email_work_card=view-paper Jaselli, Luca. “REDESCRIPTION AND FIRST ILLUSTRATION OF THE HOLOTYPE OF ASTROPECTEN MONTALIONIS (MENEGHINI, 1852) [PAXILLOSIDA: ASTROPECTINIDAE].” Atti della Societa Toscana di Scienze Naturali (2018)]

Category:Astropectinidae Category:Astropecten Category:Starfish genera Category:Taxa named by John Edward Gray