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List of prehistoric starfish genera

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Astropecten

This list of prehistoric starfish is an attempt to create a comprehensive listing of all genera from the fossil record that have ever been considered to be in the class Asteroidea, excluding purely vernacular terms. The list includes all commonly accepted genera, but also genera that are now considered invalid, doubtful (nomina dubia), or were not formally published (nomina nuda), as well as junior synonyms of more established names, and genera that are no longer considered starfish.

Naming conventions and terminology

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Naming conventions and terminology follow the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. Technical terms used include:

  • Junior synonym: A name which describes the same taxon as a previously published name. If two or more genera are formally designated and the type specimens are later assigned to the same genus, the first to be published (in chronological order) is the senior synonym, and all other instances are junior synonyms. Senior synonyms are generally used, except by special decision of the ICZN, but junior synonyms cannot be used again, even if deprecated. Junior synonymy is often subjective, unless the genera described were both based on the same type specimen.
  • Nomen nudum (Latin for "naked name"): A name that has appeared in print but has not yet been formally published by the standards of the ICZN. Nomina nuda (the plural form) are invalid, and are therefore not italicized as a proper generic name would be. If the name is later formally published, that name is no longer a nomen nudum and will be italicized on this list. Often, the formally published name will differ from any nomina nuda that describe the same specimen.
  • Nomen oblitum (Latin for "forgotten name"): A name that has not been used in the scientific community for more than fifty years after its original proposal.
  • Preoccupied name: A name that is formally published, but which has already been used for another taxon. This second use is invalid (as are all subsequent uses) and the name must be replaced. As preoccupied names are not valid generic names, they will also go unitalicized on this list.
  • Nomen dubium (Latin for "dubious name"): A name describing a fossil with no unique diagnostic features. As this can be an extremely subjective and controversial designation, this term is not used on this list.

Starfish

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Genus Authors Year Status Age Location(s) Notes
Advenaster Hess 1955 Valid Late Bajocian to Late Callovian Switzerland, Poland

Afraster

Agalmaster

Albebarania

Alkaida

Altairia

Anorthaster

Archaster

Argoviaster

Arisaigaster

Arkonaster

Arthraster

Aspidaster

Asterias

Linnaeus 1758 Valid

Astropecten

Gray 1840 Valid

Australaster

Baliactis

Benthopecten

Betelgeusia

Bohemaster

Brachisolaster

Brisingella

Caletaster

Calliaster

Calliasterella

Calliderma

Calyptactis

Capellia

Cenomanaster

Ceramaster

Certonardoa

Chaetasterina

Chariaster

Chomataster

Clarkeaster

Cnemidactis

Coccaster

Compsaster

Comptonia

Preoccupied Name preoccupied by genus of fern.

Cottreauaster

Crateraster

Ctenophoraster

Cuneaster

Denebia

Dermaster

Devonaster

Devonistella

Diclidaster

Echinaster

Echinasterella

Eoactis

Eokainaster

Eostella

Fayoumaster

Foliaster

Fomalhautia

Forbesiaster

Germanasterias

Girvanaster

Hadranderaster

Helianthaster

Heliaster

Henricia

Hippasteria

Hudsonaster

Hunsrueckaster

Hystrigaster

Hystriyasterias

Illusioluidia

Indiaster

Kyraster

Lacertasterias

Lambertella

Preoccupied Name preoccupied by genus of fungi.

Lanthanaster

Lepidactis

Lepidaster

Lepidasterella

Leptogonium

Lepyriactis

Linckia

Nardo 1834 Valid Named for Johann Heinrich Linck

Lophaster

Lophidiaster

Luidia

Macroporaster

Mastaster

Mediaster

Mesopalaeaster

Mesotremaster

Metopaster

Sladen 1893 Valid Late Cretaceous to Early Eocene

Miopentagonaster

Mistia

Monaster

Nehalemia

Neopalaeaster

Noviaster

Nymphaster

Odontaster

Ophryaster

Palaeaster

Palaeosolaster

Palaeostella

Palasterina

Palasteriscus

Paleoctenodiscus

Paragonaster

Pegaster

Pentasteria

Valette 1929 Valid Early Jurassic to Early Cretaceous

Permaster

Petraster

Phillipaster

Phocidaster

Platanaster

Plesiastropecten

Plesioastropecten

Plumaster

Promopalaeaster

Protarthraster

Protopalaeaster

Protothyraster

Protremaster

Pseudarchaster

Pycinaster

Recurvaster

Rhenaster

Salteraster

Schondorfia

Schuchertia

Sclerasterias

Siluraster

Sladenia

Solaster

Spaniaster

Spenceraster

Spenceria

Sphaeriaster

Sphaeriodiscus

Stauranderaster

Spencer 1907 Valid Late Jurassic to Paleocene

Stibaraster

Sucia

Taeniactis

Teichaster

Terminaster

Tesselaster

Testudinaster

Tethyaster

Trichasteropsis

Trimeraster

Tropidaster

Forbes 1850 Valid Early Jurassic

Tylasteria

Ulrichaster

Urasterella

McCoy 1851 Valid Ordovician to Devonian.

Valettaster

Xandarosaster

Xenaster

Yarravaster

Zoroaster

Named for Zoroaster, the founder of a namesake religion.

See also

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References

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  • Sepkoski, Jack (2002). "A compendium of fossil marine animal genera (ASTEROIDEA)". Bulletins of American Paleontology. 364: 560. Retrieved 2009-07-13.