List of prehistoric starfish genera

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

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

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

• List of prehistoric brittle stars
• List of prehistoric sea cucumbers
• List of crinoid genera

References

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