Leptasterias

Leptasterias pusilla
The whelk Nucella lima being attacked by Leptasterias hexactis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Echinodermata
Class: Asteroidea
Order: Forcipulatida
Family: Asteriidae
Genus: Leptasterias
Verrill, 1866 [1]
Species
See text

Leptasterias is a genus of starfish in the family Asteriidae. Members of this genus are characterised by having six arms although five-armed specimens sometimes occur. Asteracanthion muelleri is the type species. The taxonomy of the genus is confusing and Leptasterias hexactis seems to be a species complex. Some species brood their eggs.[2]

Species

The World Register of Marine Species lists the following species:[1]

References

  1. 1 2 Mah, Christopher (2010). "Leptasterias Verrill, 1866". World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 2012-02-03.
  2. Lambert, Philip (2001). Sea stars of British Columbia, Southeast Alaska, and Puget Sound. Google Books. pp. 117–126.
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