List of echinoderms of South Africa

The list of echinoderms of South Africa is a list of species that form a part of the echinoderm (Phylum Echinodermata) fauna of South Africa, and includes the starfish, feather stars, brittle stars, sea urchins and sea cucumbers. The list follows the SANBI listing on iNaturalist.

An echinoderm (/ɪˈkaɪnəˌdɜːrm, ˈɛkə-/) is any member of the phylum Echinodermata (/ɪˌkaɪnoʊˈdɜːrmətə/). The adults are recognisable by their (usually five-point) radial symmetry, and include starfish, brittle stars, sea urchins, sand dollars, and sea cucumbers, as well as the sea lilies or "stone lilies". Adult echinoderms are found on the sea bed at every ocean depth, from the intertidal zone to the abyssal zone. The phylum contains about 7,000 living species, making it the second-largest grouping of deuterostomes, after the chordates. Echinoderms are the largest entirely marine phylum. The first definitive echinoderms appeared near the start of the Cambrian.

The echinoderms are important both ecologically and geologically. Ecologically, there are few other groupings so abundant in the biotic desert of the deep sea, as well as shallower oceans. Most echinoderms are able to reproduce asexually and regenerate tissue, organs, and limbs; in some cases, they can undergo complete regeneration from a single limb. Geologically, the value of echinoderms is in their ossified skeletons, which are major contributors to many limestone formations, and can provide valuable clues as to the geological environment. They were the most used species in regenerative research in the 19th and 20th centuries. Further, some scientists hold that the radiation of echinoderms was responsible for the Mesozoic Marine Revolution. (Full article...)

Subphylum Asterozoa

Class Asteroidea

Superorder Forcipulatacea, order Forcipulatida

Family Asteriidae

• Coscinasterias calamaria (Gray, 1840) Many armed sea star^[1]
• Marthasterias glacialis (Linnaeus, 1758) Spiny starfish^[2]

Superorder Spinulosacea, order Spinulosida

Family Echinasteridae

• Henricia ornata (Perrier, 1869) Reticulated starfish^[2]

Superorder Valvatacea, order Paxillosida

Family Astropectinidae

• Astropecten granulatus Müller & Troschel, 1842 Grey sandstar^[2]
• Astropecten hemprichi Müller & Troschel, 1842 ^[3]
• Astropecten irregularis pontoporeus Sladen, 1883 Pink sandstar^[2]

Order Valvatida,

Family Acanthasteridae

• Acanthaster planci (Linnaeus, 1758) Crown of thorns starfish^[2]

Family Asterinidae

• Aquilonastra burtoni  (Gray, 1840)^[4]
• Asterina stellifera (Möbius, 1859) Namibian cushion star^[2]
• Callopatiria granifera (Gray, 1847) Red starfish^[2]
• Parvulastra exigua (Lamarck, 1816) Dwarf cushion star^[2]
• Patiriella dyscrita (H.L. Clark, 1923) Granular cushion star^[2]

Family Goniasteridae

• Calliaster baccatus Sladen, 1889 Cobbled sea star, tiled sea star^[1]
• Fromia elegans H.L. Clark, 1921 Blocked starfish^[2]
• Fromia indica (Perrier, 1869)

Family Mithrodiidae

• Thromidia catalai Pope & Rowe, 1977 Fat armed star^[2]

Family Ophidiasteridae

• Austrofromia schultzei (Döderlein, 1910) Granular starfish^[2]
• Linckia guildingi Gray, 1840 ^[3]
• Linckia laevigata (Linnaeus, 1758) Blue star^[2]
• Linckia multifora (Lamarck, 1816)^[3]
• Narcissia spp.
• Nardoa variolata (Retzius, 1805) Button star^[2]

Family Oreasteridae

• Choriaster granulatus Lütken, 1869 Granulated star^[2]
• Culcita schmideliana (Retzius, 1805) Pincushion starfish^[2]
• Halityle regularis Fisher, 1913 Regular star^[2]
• Protoreaster lincki (Blainville, 1830) Spine tipped star^[2]
• Pentaceraster mammillatus (Audouin, 1826) Beaded starfish^[2]

Family Pterasteridae

• Euretaster cribrosus (von Martens, 1867)^[3]
• Pteraster capensis Gray, 1847 Brooding cushion star^[2]

Class Ophiuroidea

Order Euryalida

Family Gorgonocephalidae

• Astroboa nuda (Lyman, 1874) Naked basket star
• Astrocladus euryale (Retzius, 1783) Basket star^[2]

Superfamily Euryalidea

Family Asteroschematidae

• Asteroschema capensis Mortensen, 1925 ^[3]

Family Euryalidae, Subfamily Euryalinae

• Euryale spp.

Order Ophiurida, Suborder Ophiurina, Infraorder Gnathophiurina

Family Amphiuridae

• Amphiura (Amphiura) capensis Ljungman, 1867 Equal tailed brittlestar^[2]
• Amphioplus (Lymanella) integer (Ljungman, 1867)^[2]
• Amphipholis squamata (Delle Chiaje, 1828)^[2]
• Ophiodaphne scripta (Koehler, 1904) Pansy-shell brittlestar^[2]

Family Ophiactidae

• Ophiactis carnea Ljungman, 1867 Snake-star^[2]
• Ophiactis savignyi (Müller & Troschel, 1842)^[2]

Family Ophiocomidae, Subfamily Ophiocominae

• Ophiocoma (Breviturma) brevipes Peters, 1851^[3]
• Ophiocoma (Breviturma) dentata Müller & Troschel, 1842^[3]
• Ophiocoma (Breviturma) doederleini de Loriol, 1899^[3]
• Ophiocoma erinaceus Müller & Troschel, 1842^[2]
• Ophiocoma pica Müller & Troschel, 1842^[3]
• Ophiocoma pusilla (Brock, 1888)^[3]
• Ophiocoma scolopendrina (Lamarck, 1816)^[2]
• Ophiocoma valenciae Müller & Troschel, 1842 Snake armed brittlestar^[2]

Family Ophionereididae

• Ophionereis dubia dubia (Müller & Troschel, 1842) Striped brittlestar^[2]
• Ophionereis porrecta Lyman, 1860 Striped brittlestar^[2]

Family Ophiotrichidae

• Macrophiothrix hirsuta cheneyi (Lyman, 1862)^[2]
• Ophiocnemis marmorata (Lamarck, 1816) Hitchhiker brittlestar^[2]
• Ophiothela danae Verrill, 1869 Commensal brittlestar^[2]
• Ophiothrix (Acanthophiothrix) purpurea von Martens, 1867^[3]
• Ophiothrix (Ophiothrix) foveolata Marktanner-Turneretscher, 1887^[2]
• Ophiothrix fragilis (Abildgaard, in O.F. Müller, 1789) Hairy brittlestar^[2]
• Ophiothrix fragilis var. triglochis Müller & Troschel, 1842^[4]

Infraorder Ophiodermatina

Family Ophiodermatidae

Subfamily Ophiarachninae

• Ophiarachnella capensis (Bell, 1888) Banded brittlestar^[2]

Subfamily Ophiodermatinae

• Ophioderma wahlbergii Müller & Troschel, 1842 Serpent skinned brittlestar^[2]

Subphylum Crinozoa

Class Crinoidea, subclass Articulata

Order Comatulida, sub-order Comatulidina

Super-family Antedonoidea, family Antedonidae, subfamily Antedoninae

• Annametra occidentalis (AH Clark, 1915)^[2]

Superfamily Comasteroidea, family Comatulidae, subfamily Comatulinae

• Comanthus wahlbergii (Müller, 1843) Common feather star^[2]

Superfamily Mariametroidea, family Mariametridae

• Stephanometra indica (Smith, 1876) Indicated feather star^[2]

Superfamily Tropiometroidea, family Tropiometridae

• Tropiometra carinata (Lamarck, 1816) Elegant feather star^[2]

Subphylum Echinozoa

Class Echinoidea, subclass Cidaroidea

Order Cidaroida

Superfamily Cidaridea, family Cidaridae, subfamily Cidarinae

• Eucidaris metularia (Lamarck, 1816)^[3]
• Phyllacanthus imperialis (Lamarck, 1816)^[3]

Subfamily Stylocidarinae

• Prionocidaris pistillaris (Lamarck, 1816) Rough pencil urchin^[2]

Subclass Euechinoidea, infraclass Acroechinoidea

Order Diadematoida

Family Diadematidae

• Astropyga radiata (Leske, 1778)^[3]
• Diadema savignyi (Audouin, 1829) Needle urchin^[2]
• Diadema setosum (Leske, 1778) Needle urchin^[2]
• Echinothrix calamaris (Pallas, 1774) Banded urchin^[2]

Infraclass Carinacea

Superorder Echinacea, order Arbacioida

Family Arbaciidae

• Tetrapygus niger (Molina, 1782) Black urchin^[2]

Order Camarodonta, infraorder Echinidea

Family Echinidae

• Echinus gilchristi Bell, 1904 Deep water urchin^[1]

Family Parechinidae

• Parechinus angulosus (Leske, 1778) Cape urchin^[2]

Superfamily Odontophora, family Echinometridae

• Colobocentrotus (Podophora) atratus (Linnaeus, 1758)^[3] 
• Echinometra mathaei (Blainville, 1825) Oval urchin^[2]
• Echinostrephus molaris (Blainville, 1825) Tuft urchin^[2]
• Heterocentrotus mamillatus (Linnaeus, 1758) Slate pencil urchin^[2]

Family Toxopneustidae

• Toxopneustes pileolus (Lamarck, 1816) Flower urchin^[2]
• Tripneustes gratilla (Linnaeus, 1758) Short-spined urchin^[2]

Infraorder Temnopleuridea

Family Temnopleuridae

• Salmacis bicolor L. Agassiz in L. Agassiz & Desor, 1846 Bicoloured urchin^[2]

Order Stomopneustoida

Family Stomopneustidae

• Stomopneustes variolaris (Lamarck, 1816) Pot-hole urchin^[2]

Infraclass Irregularia

Superorder Atelostomata, order Spatangoida, suborder Brissidina

Superfamily Spatangidea, family Loveniidae, subfamily Echinocardiinae

• Echinocardium cordatum (Pennant, 1777) Heart urchin^[2]
• Lovenia elongata (Gray, 1845) ^[3]

Family Maretiidae

• Spatagobrissus mirabilis H.L. Clark, 1923 Heart urchin^[2]

Superorder Neognathostomata, order Clypeasteroida, suborder Scutellina, infraorder Scutelliformes

Superfamily Scutellidea, family Astriclypeidae

• Echinodiscus auritus Leske, 1778 Pansy shell^[2]
• Echinodiscus bisperforatus Leske, 1778 Pansy shell^[2]

Infraorder Laganiformes

Family Echinocyamidae

• Echinocyamus sp.^[3]

Order Echinolampadoida

Family Echinolampadidae

• Echinolampas crassa (Bell, 1880) Lamp urchin^[2]

Class Holothuroidea

Order Apodida

Family Chiridotidae

• Taeniogyrus dayi Cherbonnier, 1952^[4]

Family Synaptidae

• Leptosynapta knysnaensis(Cherbonnier, 1952)^[4] 
• Synapta maculata (Chamisso & Eysenhardt, 1821) Snake sea cucumber^[2]

Order Aspidochirotida

Family Holothuriidae

• Bohadschia subrubra (Quoy & Gaimard, 1834)^[3]
• Holothuria (Halodeima) atra Jaeger, 1833^[2]
• Holothuria (Mertensiothuria) leucospilota (Brandt, 1835) Tapering sea cucumber^[2]
• Holothuria (Metriatyla) scabra Jaeger, 1833^[2]
• Holothuria (Microthele) nobilis (Selenka, 1867) Noble sea cucumber^[2]
• Holothuria (Selenkothuria) parva Krauss in Lampert, 1885 Banana sea cucumber^[2]
• Holothuria (Semperothuria) cinerascens (Brandt, 1835) Tufted sea cucumber^[2]

Family Stichopodidae

• Neostichopus grammatus (H.L. Clark, 1923) Warty sea cucumber^[2]
• Stichopus chloronotus Brandt, 1835^[2]
• Thelenota ananas (Jaeger, 1833) Pineapple sea cucumber^[2]

Order Dendrochirotida

Family Cucumariidae

• Aslia spyridophora (H.L. Clark, 1923) Grey sea cucumber^[2] syn. Cucumaria spyridophora, Pentacucumis spyridophora
• Pentacta doliolum (Pallas, 1766) Cask sea cucumber, mauve sea cucumber ^[2]
• Pseudocnella insolens (Théel, 1886) Red-chested sea cucumber^[2] syn. Cucumaria insolens Théel, 1886
• Pseudocnella sykion (Lampert, 1885) Black sea cucumber^[2] syn. Cucumaria sykion (Lampert, 1885)
• Roweia stephensoni (John, 1939) Stephenson's sea cucumber^[2] syn. Cucumaria stephensoni John, 1939
• Roweia frauenfeldi frauenfeldi (Ludwig, 1882) Horseshoe sea cucumber^[2] syn. Cucumaria frauenfeldi Ludwig, 1882 
• Trachasina crucifera (Semper, 1869)^[4] syn. Trachythyone crucifera (Semper, 1869)

Family Psolidae

• Psolus griffithsi Thandar, 2009^[3]

Family Phyllophoridae

• Stolus buccalis (Stimpson, 1855)^[4] syn. Thyone sacellus (Selenka)
• Thyone aurea (Quoy & Gaimard, 1834) Golden sea cucumber^[2]

Notes

References