Brisingida are an order

Order (biology)

In scientific classification used in biology, the order is# a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, family, genus, and species, with order fitting in between class and family...

 of deep-sea dwelling sea star

Sea star

Starfish or sea stars are echinoderms belonging to the class Asteroidea. The names "starfish" and "sea star" essentially refer to members of the class Asteroidea...

s.

Description

These starfish have between 6 and 16 long, attenuated arms which they use for suspension feeding. Other characteristics include a single series of marginals, a fused ring of disc plates, the lack of actinal plates, a spool-like ambulacral column, reduced abactinal plates, and crossed pedicellariae.

Distribution

Briningida occur in a number of deep-sea locations, particularly in the Caribbean

Caribbean

The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...

 and New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

.

Taxonomy

Brisingida contains 2 families, with 18 genera as follows:

• Family Brisingidae, G.O. Sars, 1875
  • Genus Astrolirus, Fisher, 1917
  • Genus Astrostephane, Fisher, 1917
  • Genus Brisinga Asbjørnsen, 1856 (synonym: Craterobrisinga, Fisher, 1916)
  • Genus Brisingaster Loriol, 1883
  • Genus Brisingella Fisher, 1917
  • Genus Brisingenes Fisher, 1917
  • Genus Hymenodiscus Perrier, 1884
  • Genus Labidiaster, Lütken, 1872 (synonym: Gymnobrisinga, Studer, 1884)
  • Genus Midgardia Downey, 1972
  • Genus Novodinia Dartnall, Pawson, Pope & B.J. Smith, 1969 (synonym: Odinia, Perrier, 1885)
  • Genus Odinella Fisher, 1940
  • Genus Stegnobrisinga Fisher, 1916

• Family Freyellidae, Downey, 1986
  • Genus Astrocles Fisher, 1917
  • Genus Belgicella Ludwig, 1903
  • Genus Colpaster Sladen, 1889
  • Genus Freyastera Downey, 1986
  • Genus Freyella Perrier, 1885 (synonym: Freyellidea, Fisher, 1917)
  • Genus Freyellaster Fisher 1918

Further reading

• Hansson, H.G. (2001). Echinodermata, in: Costello, M.J. et al. (Ed.) (2001). European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Collection Patrimoines Naturels, 50: pp. 336-351 (look up in IMIS) [details]

• Clark, A.M. and M.E. Downey. (1992). Starfishes of the Atlantic. Chapman & Hall Identification Guides, 3. Chapman & Hall: London, UK. ISBN 0-412-43280-3. xxvi, 794 pp. (look up in IMIS) [details]

• Downey. M.E. (1986). Revision of the Atlantic Brisingida (Echinodermata: Asteroidea), with description of a new genus and family. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology No.435. 57pp. [details]

• Fisher, W.K. (1917). New genera and species of Brisingidae. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 20(8): 418-431. [details]

• Sladen, W.P. (1889). Report on the Asteroidea. Report on the Scientific Results of the Voyage of H.M.S. Challenger during the years 1873-1876, Zoology 30(51): xlii + 893 pages 118 plates. [details]

• Clark, A.M.and Mah, C. (2001). An index of names of recent Asteroidea, part 4. Forcipulatida and Brisingida, in: Jangoux, M.; Lawrence, J.M. (Ed.) (2001). Echinoderm Studies, 6: pp. 229-347 (look up in IMIS) [details]