{{short description|Genus of echinoderms}} {{Italic title}} {{for|the company|Luidia, Inc.}} {{automatic taxobox | image = Luidia magnifica.jpg | image_caption = ''Luidia magnifica'' | parent_authority = Sladen, 1889<ref>[http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=123129 Luidiidae] World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 2011-08-29.</ref> | taxon = Luidia | authority = Forbes, 1839<ref name=WoRMS>[http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=123260 Luidia Forbes, 1839] World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 2011-08-29.</ref> | synonyms = *''Alternaster'' <small>Döderlein, 1920</small> *''Armaster'' <small>Döderlein, 1920</small> *''Astrella'' <small>Perrier, 1882</small> *''Denudaster'' <small>Döderlein, 1920</small> *''Hemicnemis'' <small>Müller & Troschel, 1840</small> *''Integraster'' <small>Döderlein, 1920</small> *''Luidia (Luidia)'' <small>Forbes, 1839</small> *''Luidia (Platasterias)'' <small>(Gray, 1871)</small> *''Maculaster'' <small>Döderlein, 1920</small> *''Penangaster'' <small>Döderlein, 1920</small> *''Petalaster'' <small>Gray, 1840</small> *''Quinaster'' <small>Döderlein, 1920</small> *''Senegaster'' <small>Döderlein, 1920</small> | synonyms_ref = <ref name=WoRMS /> }}

'''''Luidia''''' is a genus of starfish in the family Luidiidae <!-- (Sladen, 1889) --> in which it is the only genus. Species of the family have a cosmopolitan distribution.<ref>[http://data.gbif.org/species/browse/resource/791/taxon/2957537/ Classification of Genus: ''Luidia''] Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 2011-08-29.</ref>

==Characteristics== Members of the genus are characterised by having long arms with pointed tips fringed with spines.<ref>[http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/351003/Luidia ''Luidia''] Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved 2011-08-29.</ref> Their upper surfaces are covered with paxillae, pillar-like spines with flattened summits covered with minute spinules. The upper marginal plates are replaced by paxillae, but the lower marginal plates are large and covered with paxillae. The tube feet do not have suckers, but have two swollen regions. A mouth, oesophagus, and cardiac stomach are seen, but no pyloric stomach or anus is present. The gonads are underneath the sides of each arm.<ref>[http://species-identification.org/species.php?species_group=echinodermata&id=10&menuentry=groepen Family Luidiidae] Marine Species Identification Portal. Retrieved 2011-08-29.</ref>

The early larval stages of starfish are known as bipinnarial larvae, and members of this genus do not continue their development after this stage into a brachiolar stage before undergoing metamorphosis. However, they are capable of larval cloning, with asexual reproduction taking place while they are larvae. This has been shown to take place both in the field and in laboratory cultures and has been studied by molecular analysis of sequences of mitochondrial tRNA to identify the taxa involved.<ref>[http://www.biolbull.org/cgi/content/full/204/3/246 Identification of Asteroid Genera With Species Capable of Larval Cloning] Retrieved 2011-08-29.</ref>

==Species== {{As of|2024}}, the following species are recognized by the World Register of Marine Species:<ref name=WoRMS/> {{div col|colwidth=20em}} *''Luidia alternata'' {{small|(Say, 1825)}} – banded sea star *''Luidia amurensis'' {{small|Doderlein, 1920}} *''Luidia armata'' {{small|Ludwig, 1905}} *''Luidia asthenosoma'' {{small|Fisher, 1906}} *''Luidia atlantidea'' {{small|Madsen, 1950}} *''Luidia australiae'' {{small|Doderlein, 1920}} *''Luidia avicularia'' {{small|Fisher, 1913}} *''Luidia barbadensis'' {{small|Perrier, 1881}} *''Luidia bellonae'' {{small|Lütken, 1865}} *''Luidia changi'' {{small|Liu, Liao & Li, 2006}} *''Luidia ciliaris'' {{small|(Philippi, 1837)}} – seven-armed star *''Luidia clathrata'' {{small|(Say, 1825)}} – slender-armed starfish, gray sea star, lined sea star *''Luidia columbia'' {{small|(Gray, 1840)}} *''Luidia denudata'' {{small|Koehler, 1910}} *''Luidia difficilis'' {{small|Liu, Liao & Li, 2006}} *''Luidia ferruginea'' {{small|Ludwig, 1905}} *''Luidia foliolata'' {{small|(Grube, 1866)}} – spiny mudstar, leafy flat star, sand star *''Luidia gymnochora'' {{small|Fisher, 1913}} *''Luidia hardwicki'' {{small|(Gray, 1840)}} *''Luidia herdmani'' {{small|A.M. Clark, 1953}} *''Luidia heterozona'' {{small|Fisher, 1940}} *''Luidia hexactis'' {{small|H.L. Clark, 1938}} *''Luidia inarmata'' {{small|Doderlein, 1920}} *''Luidia integra'' {{small|Koehler, 1910}} *''Luidia iwakiensis'' {{small|Kobayashi, Hibino, Yamato & Fujita, 2024}} *''Luidia latiradiata'' {{small|(Gray, 1871)}} *''Luidia lawrencei'' {{small|Hopkins & Knott, 2010}} *''Luidia longispina'' {{small|Sladen, 1889}} *''Luidia ludwigi'' {{small|Fisher, 1906}} *''Luidia maculata'' {{small|Müller & Troschel, 1842}} *''Luidia magellanica'' {{small|Leipoldt, 1895}} *''Luidia magnifica'' {{small|Fisher, 1906}} – magnificent star *''Luidia mauritiensis'' {{small|Koehler, 1910}} *''Luidia neozelanica'' {{small|Mortensen, 1925}} *''Luidia orientalis'' {{small|Fisher, 1913}} *''Luidia patriae'' {{small|Bernasconi, 1941}} *''Luidia penangensis'' {{small|de Loriol, 1891}} *''Luidia phragma'' {{small|H.L. Clark, 1910}} *''Luidia porteri'' {{small|A.H. Clark, 1917}} *''Luidia prionota'' {{small|Fisher, 1913}} *''Luidia quinaria'' {{small|von Martens, 1865}} – spiny sand sea star *''Luidia sagamina'' {{small|Doderlein, 1920}} *''Luidia sarsii'' {{small|Düben & Koren, 1845}} *''Luidia savignyi'' {{small|(Audouin, 1826)}} *''Luidia senegalensis'' {{small|(Lamark, 1816)}} – nine-armed sea star *''Luidia sibogae'' {{small|Doderlein, 1920}} *''Luidia superba'' {{small|A.H. Clark, 1917}} – giant sea star *''Luidia tessellata'' {{small|Lutken, 1859}} *''Luidia yesoensis'' {{small|Goto, 1914}} {{div col end}}

{{clr}} <gallery style="text-align:center;" mode="packed"> Gulf Shores, Alabama, 2015 Luidia alternata.jpg|''Luidia alternata'' Luidia atlantidea (MNHN-IE-2014-622).jpg|''Luidia atlantidea'' (MNHN) Luidia australiae.jpg|''Luidia australiae''. Luidia cilliaris 01 Espen Rekdal.jpg|''Luidia ciliaris'' Luidia clathrata.jpg|''Luidia clathrata''. Luida columbia, dorsal view.jpg|''Luida columbia''. Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary 2010 Luidia foliolata.jpg|''Luidia foliolata'' Luidia heterozona.jpg|''Luidia heterozona''. Luida latiradiata, dorsal view.jpg|''Luida latiradiata''. Luidia lawrencei (USNM 6923) 001.jpeg|''Luidia lawrencei''. Luidia ludwigi scotti.jpg|''Luidia ludwigi''. Eight-armed sand star (Luidia maculata).jpg|''Luidia maculata''. Luidia magellanica.jpg|''Luidia magellanica'' Luidia_magnifica_mouth.jpg|''Luidia magnifica'' (oral face). MA I317851 TePapa Luidia-neozelanica-Mortensen full.jpg|''Luidia neozelanica'' Luidia porteri (USNM 36947) 001.jpeg|''Luidia porteri''. Luidia quinaria.jpg|''Luidia quinaria'' Luidia sagamina aciculata (11714484256).jpg|''Luidia sagamina'' Luidia sarsi 01 Espen Rekdal.jpg|''Luidia sarsi''. Luidia savignyi (Audouin, 1826).jpg|''Luidia savignyi''. Nine-armed Sea Star (Luidia senegalensis) (4338628827).jpg|''Luidia senegalensis'' Luida superba, dorsal view.jpg|''Luidia superba''. </gallery>

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q3200764}}

Category:Luidia Category:Starfish genera Category:Taxa named by Edward Forbes