''Apollonaster'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...

abyssal The abyssal zone or abyssopelagic zone is a layer of the pelagic zone of the ocean. "Abyss" derives from the Greek word , meaning bottomless. At depths of , this zone remains in perpetual darkness. It covers 83% of the total area of the ocean an ...

sea stars in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Goniasteridae Goniasteridae (the biscuit stars) constitute the largest family of sea stars, included in the order Valvatida. They are mostly deep-dwelling species, but the family also include several colorful shallow tropical species. Description Goni ...

. They can be identified by their bare abactinal plate surfaces and multiple accessory granule rows on their abactinal plates. To date, Apollonaster has been found in the tropical Atlantic region (''A. yucatanensis'') and Hawaiian Islands region (''A. kelleyi'') oceans, with no other locations or species being known as of 2015.

Species list

According to

World Register of Marine Species The World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) is a taxonomic database that aims to provide an authoritative and comprehensive list of names of marine organisms. Content The content of the registry is edited and maintained by scientific speciali ...

:Mah, C. (2014),
Apollonaster
' Halpern, 1970 In: Mah, C.L. (2015) World Asteroidea database. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species. * ''

Apollonaster kelleyi ''Apollonaster kelleyi'' is a species of abyssal sea star within the family Goniasteridae, that was discovered in 2015 in the Hawaiian region. It is identified as part of the ''Apollonaster'' genus based on its bare abactinal plate surfaces and ...

'' Mah, 2015 --

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only ...

* ''

Apollonaster yucatanensis ''Apollonaster yucatanensis'' is a species of abyssal sea star within the family Goniasteridae. Its distribution is within the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, at depths of 1135.5 meters below sea level in benthic The benthic zone is the ecol ...

'' Halpern, 1970 -- Caribbean This species was named in 1970 as a tribute to the Apollo mission.

References

External links

* Mah, C. (2014),
Apollonaster
' Halpern, 1970 In: Mah, C.L. (2015) World Asteroidea database. Accessed through

. Goniasteridae {{Asteroidea-stub