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 deuterostomal animal of the phylum Echinodermata (/ɪˌkaɪnoʊˈdɜːrmətə/), which includes starfish, brittle stars, sea urchins, sand dollars and sea cucumbers, as well as the sessile sea lilies or "stone lilies". While bilaterally symmetrical as larvae, as adults echinoderms are recognisable by their usually five-pointed radial symmetry (pentamerous symmetry), and are found on the sea bed at every ocean depth from the intertidal zone to the abyssal zone. The phylum contains about 7,600 living species, making it the second-largest group of deuterostomes after the chordates, as well as the largest marine-only 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 dermal endoskeletons, 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 edit
Class Asteroidea edit
Superorder Forcipulatacea, order Forcipulatida edit
Family Asteriidae edit
- Coscinasterias calamaria (Gray, 1840) Many armed sea star[1]
- Marthasterias glacialis (Linnaeus, 1758) Spiny starfish[2]
Superorder Spinulosacea, order Spinulosida edit
Family Echinasteridae edit
- Henricia ornata (Perrier, 1869) Reticulated starfish[2]
Superorder Valvatacea, order Paxillosida edit
Family Astropectinidae edit
- Astropecten granulatus Müller & Troschel, 1842 Grey sandstar[2]
- Astropecten hemprichi Müller & Troschel, 1842 [3]
- Astropecten irregularis pontoporeus Sladen, 1883 Pink sandstar[2]
Order Valvatida, edit
Family Acanthasteridae edit
- Acanthaster planci (Linnaeus, 1758) Crown of thorns starfish[2]
Family Asterinidae edit
- 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 edit
- 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 edit
- Thromidia catalai Pope & Rowe, 1977 Fat armed star[2]
Family Ophidiasteridae edit
- 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 edit
- 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 edit
- Euretaster cribrosus (von Martens, 1867)[3]
- Pteraster capensis Gray, 1847 Brooding cushion star[2]
Class Ophiuroidea edit
Order Euryalida edit
Family Gorgonocephalidae edit
- Astroboa nuda (Lyman, 1874) Naked basket star
- Astrocladus euryale (Retzius, 1783) Basket star[2]
Superfamily Euryalidea edit
Family Asteroschematidae edit
- Asteroschema capensis Mortensen, 1925 [3]
Family Euryalidae, Subfamily Euryalinae edit
- Euryale spp.
Order Ophiurida, Suborder Ophiurina, Infraorder Gnathophiurina edit
Family Amphiuridae edit
- 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 edit
- Ophiactis carnea Ljungman, 1867 Snake-star[2]
- Ophiactis savignyi (Müller & Troschel, 1842)[2]
Family Ophiocomidae, Subfamily Ophiocominae edit
- 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 edit
- Ophionereis dubia dubia (Müller & Troschel, 1842) Striped brittlestar[2]
- Ophionereis porrecta Lyman, 1860 Striped brittlestar[2]
Family Ophiotrichidae edit
- 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 edit
Family Ophiodermatidae edit
Subfamily Ophiarachninae edit
- Ophiarachnella capensis (Bell, 1888) Banded brittlestar[2]
Subfamily Ophiodermatinae edit
- Ophioderma wahlbergii Müller & Troschel, 1842 Serpent skinned brittlestar[2]
Subphylum Crinozoa edit
Class Crinoidea, subclass Articulata edit
Order Comatulida, sub-order Comatulidina edit
Super-family Antedonoidea, family Antedonidae, subfamily Antedoninae edit
- Annametra occidentalis (AH Clark, 1915)[2]
Superfamily Comasteroidea, family Comatulidae, subfamily Comatulinae edit
- Comanthus wahlbergii (Müller, 1843) Common feather star[2]
Superfamily Mariametroidea, family Mariametridae edit
- Stephanometra indica (Smith, 1876) Indicated feather star[2]
Superfamily Tropiometroidea, family Tropiometridae edit
- Tropiometra carinata (Lamarck, 1816) Elegant feather star[2]
Subphylum Echinozoa edit
Class Echinoidea, subclass Cidaroidea edit
Order Cidaroida edit
Superfamily Cidaridea, family Cidaridae, subfamily Cidarinae edit
- Eucidaris metularia (Lamarck, 1816)[3]
- Phyllacanthus imperialis (Lamarck, 1816)[3]
Subfamily Stylocidarinae edit
- Prionocidaris pistillaris (Lamarck, 1816) Rough pencil urchin[2]
Subclass Euechinoidea, infraclass Acroechinoidea edit
Order Diadematoida edit
Family Diadematidae edit
- 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 edit
Superorder Echinacea, order Arbacioida edit
Family Arbaciidae edit
- Tetrapygus niger (Molina, 1782) Black urchin[2]
Order Camarodonta, infraorder Echinidea edit
Family Echinidae edit
- Echinus gilchristi Bell, 1904 Deep water urchin[1]
Family Parechinidae edit
- Parechinus angulosus (Leske, 1778) Cape urchin[2]
Superfamily Odontophora, family Echinometridae edit
- 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 edit
- Toxopneustes pileolus (Lamarck, 1816) Flower urchin[2]
- Tripneustes gratilla (Linnaeus, 1758) Short-spined urchin[2]
Infraorder Temnopleuridea edit
Family Temnopleuridae edit
- Salmacis bicolor L. Agassiz in L. Agassiz & Desor, 1846 Bicoloured urchin[2]
Order Stomopneustoida edit
Family Stomopneustidae edit
- Stomopneustes variolaris (Lamarck, 1816) Pot-hole urchin[2]
Infraclass Irregularia edit
Superorder Atelostomata, order Spatangoida, suborder Brissidina edit
Superfamily Spatangidea, family Loveniidae, subfamily Echinocardiinae edit
- Echinocardium cordatum (Pennant, 1777) Heart urchin[2]
- Lovenia elongata (Gray, 1845) [3]
Family Maretiidae edit
- Spatagobrissus mirabilis H.L. Clark, 1923 Heart urchin[2]
Superorder Neognathostomata, order Clypeasteroida, suborder Scutellina, infraorder Scutelliformes edit
Superfamily Scutellidea, family Astriclypeidae edit
- Echinodiscus auritus Leske, 1778 Pansy shell[2]
- Echinodiscus bisperforatus Leske, 1778 Pansy shell[2]
Infraorder Laganiformes edit
Family Echinocyamidae edit
- Echinocyamus sp.[3]
Order Echinolampadoida edit
Family Echinolampadidae edit
- Echinolampas crassa (Bell, 1880) Lamp urchin[2]
Class Holothuroidea edit
Order Apodida edit
Family Chiridotidae edit
- Taeniogyrus dayi Cherbonnier, 1952[4]
Family Synaptidae edit
- Leptosynapta knysnaensis(Cherbonnier, 1952)[4]
- Synapta maculata (Chamisso & Eysenhardt, 1821) Snake sea cucumber[2]
Order Aspidochirotida edit
Family Holothuriidae edit
- 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 edit
- 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 edit
Family Cucumariidae edit
- 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 edit
- Psolus griffithsi Thandar, 2009[3]
Family Phyllophoridae edit
- Stolus buccalis (Stimpson, 1855)[4] syn. Thyone sacellus (Selenka)
- Thyone aurea (Quoy & Gaimard, 1834) Golden sea cucumber[2]
Notes edit
References edit
- ^ a b c Jones, Georgina (2008). A field guide to the marine animals of the Cape Peninsula. Cape Town: SURG. ISBN 978-0-620-41639-9.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu bv bw bx by bz Branch, G.M.; Branch, M.L.; Griffiths, C.L.; Beckley, L.E. (2010). Two Oceans: a guide to the marine life of southern Africa (2nd ed.). Cape Town: Struik Nature. ISBN 978 1 77007 772 0.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s "EchinoMAP — Atlas of African Echinoderma: 134 species found for South Africa, Date filter: none". Animal Demography Unit: Virtual Museum. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f Day, J.H. 1969. A guide to marine life on South African shores. Balkema, Cape Town