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List of echinoderms of South Africa

List of echinoderms of South Africa is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand List of echinoderms of South Africa rather than just read about it. In short: 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.

List of echinoderms of South Africa — main illustration
List of echinoderms of South Africa — illustration

Key takeaways

  • List of echinoderms of South Africa belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect List of echinoderms of South Africa to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of List of echinoderms of South Africa from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

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 () is any animal of the phylum Echinodermata (), 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. Echinoderms are important both ecologically and geologically. Ecologically, there are few other groupings so abundant in 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

Class Asteroidea

Superorder Forcipulatacea, order Forcipulatida

Family Asteriidae Coscinasterias calamaria (Gray, 1840) Many armed sea star Marthasterias glacialis (Linnaeus, 1758) Spiny starfish

Superorder Spinulosacea, order Spinulosida

Family Echinasteridae Henricia ornata (Perrier, 1869) Reticulated starfish

Superorder Valvatacea, order Paxillosida

Family Astropectinidae Astropecten granulatus Müller & Troschel, 1842 Grey sandstar Astropecten hemprichi Müller & Troschel, 1842 Astropecten irregularis pontoporeus Sladen, 1883 Pink sandstar

Order Valvatida,

Family Acanthasteridae Acanthaster planci (Linnaeus, 1758) Crown of thorns starfish

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

Family Goniasteridae Calliaster baccatus Sladen, 1889 Cobbled sea star, tiled sea star Fromia elegans H.L. Clark, 1921 Blocked starfish Fromia indica (Perrier, 1869)

Family Mithrodiidae Thromidia catalai Pope & Rowe, 1977 Fat armed star

Family Ophidiasteridae Austrofromia schultzei (Döderlein, 1910) Granular starfish Linckia guildingi Gray, 1840 Linckia laevigata (Linnaeus, 1758) Blue star Linckia multifora (Lamarck, 1816) Narcissia spp. Nardoa variolata (Retzius, 1805) Button star

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

Family Pterasteridae Euretaster cribrosus (von Martens, 1867) Pteraster capensis Gray, 1847 Brooding cushion star

Class Ophiuroidea

Order Euryalida

Family Gorgonocephalidae Astroboa nuda (Lyman, 1874) Naked basket star Astrocladus euryale (Retzius, 1783) Basket star

Superfamily Euryalidea

Family Asteroschematidae Asteroschema capensis Mortensen, 1925

Family Euryalidae, Subfamily Euryalinae Euryale spp.

Order Ophiurida, Suborder Ophiurina, Infraorder Gnathophiurina

Family Amphiuridae Amphiura (Amphiura) capensis Ljungman, 1867 Equal tailed brittlestar Amphioplus (Lymanella) integer (Ljungman, 1867) Amphipholis squamata (Delle Chiaje, 1828) Ophiodaphne scripta (Koehler, 1904) Pansy-shell brittlestar

Family Ophiactidae Ophiactis carnea Ljungman, 1867 Snake-star Ophiactis savignyi (Müller & Troschel, 1842)

Family Ophiocomidae, Subfamily Ophiocominae Ophiocoma (Breviturma) brevipes Peters, 1851 Ophiocoma (Breviturma) dentata Müller & Troschel, 1842 Ophiocoma (Breviturma) doederleini de Loriol, 1899 Ophiocoma erinaceus Müller & Troschel, 1842 Ophiocoma pica Müller & Troschel, 1842 Ophiocoma pusilla (Brock, 1888) Ophiocoma scolopendrina (Lamarck, 1816) Ophiocoma valenciae Müller & Troschel, 1842 Snake armed brittlestar

Family Ophionereididae Ophionereis dubia dubia (Müller & Troschel, 1842) Striped brittlestar Ophionereis porrecta Lyman, 1860 Striped brittlestar

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

Infraorder Ophiodermatina

Family Ophiodermatidae

Subfamily Ophiarachninae Ophiarachnella capensis (Bell, 1888) Banded brittlestar

Subfamily Ophiodermatinae Ophioderma wahlbergii Müller & Troschel, 1842 Serpent skinned brittlestar

Subphylum Crinozoa

Class Crinoidea, subclass Articulata

Order Comatulida, sub-order Comatulidina

Super-family Antedonoidea, family Antedonidae, subfamily Antedoninae Annametra occidentalis (AH Clark, 1915)

Superfamily Comasteroidea, family Comatulidae, subfamily Comatulinae Comanthus wahlbergii (Müller, 1843) Common feather star

Superfamily Mariametroidea, family Mariametridae Stephanometra indica (Smith, 1876) Indicated feather star

Superfamily Tropiometroidea, family Tropiometridae Tropiometra carinata (Lamarck, 1816) Elegant feather star

Subphylum Echinozoa

Class Echinoidea, subclass Cidaroidea

Order Cidaroida

Superfamily Cidaridea, family Cidaridae, subfamily Cidarinae

Eucidaris metularia (Lamarck, 1816) Phyllacanthus imperialis (Lamarck, 1816)

Subfamily Stylocidarinae

Prionocidaris pistillaris (Lamarck, 1816) Rough pencil urchin

Subclass Euechinoidea, infraclass Acroechinoidea

Order Diadematoida

Family Diadematidae

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Illustrations

List of echinoderms of South Africa: Map of the Southern African coastline showing some of the landmarks referred to in species range statements
Map of the Southern African coastline showing some of the landmarks referred to in species range statements

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with List of echinoderms of South Africa

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what List of echinoderms of South Africa claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to List of echinoderms of South Africa before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about List of echinoderms of South Africa ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of List of echinoderms of South Africa

In research
List of echinoderms of South Africa appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses List of echinoderms of South Africa in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
List of echinoderms of South Africa is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Lists of echinoderms, Marine biota of South Africa, South African animal biodiversity lists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for List of echinoderms of South Africa outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.
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How to study List of echinoderms of South Africa in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what List of echinoderms of South Africa means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain List of echinoderms of South Africa out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is List of echinoderms of South Africa in simple terms?

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.

Why does List of echinoderms of South Africa matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study List of echinoderms of South Africa?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on List of echinoderms of South Africa.

Tags

  • Lists of echinoderms
  • Marine biota of South Africa
  • South African animal biodiversity lists

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