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.
Map of the Southern African coastline showing some of the landmarks referred to in species range statements
An echinoderm (/ɪˈkaɪnəˌdɜːrm, ˈɛkə-/) is any member of the phylum Echinodermata (/ɪˌkaɪnoʊˈdɜːrmətə/; from Ancient Greek ἐχῖνος (ekhînos) 'hedgehog', and δέρμα (dérma) 'skin') of marine animals. The adults are recognizable 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 (a superphylum), after the chordates (which include the vertebrates, such as birds, fishes, mammals, and reptiles). Echinoderms are the largest phylum that has no freshwater or terrestrial members.
Aside from the hard-to-classify Arkarua (a Precambrian animal with echinoderm-like pentamerous radial symmetry), the first definitive members of the phylum appeared near the start of the Cambrian. One group of Cambrian echinoderms, the cinctans (Homalozoa), which are close to the base of the echinoderm origin, has been found to possess external gills used for filter feeding, similar to those possessed by chordates and hemichordates.
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
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]
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
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]
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
Family Echinocyamidae
- Echinocyamus sp.[3]
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
- Jones, Georgina (2008). A field guide to the marine animals of the Cape Peninsula. Cape Town: SURG. ISBN 978-0-620-41639-9.
- 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.
- "EchinoMAP — Atlas of African Echinoderma: 134 species found for South Africa, Date filter: none". Animal Demography Unit: Virtual Museum. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
- Day, J.H. 1969. A guide to marine life on South African shores. Balkema, Cape Town
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