''Paranepanthia'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

starfish Starfish or sea stars are Star polygon, star-shaped echinoderms belonging to the class (biology), class Asteroidea (). Common usage frequently finds these names being also applied to brittle star, ophiuroids, which are correctly referred to ...

of the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Asterinidae The Asterinidae are a large family of sea stars in the order Valvatida. Description and characteristics These are generally small sea stars, flattened dorsally and bearing very short arms, often giving a pentagonal shape in the body ;example: ...

. Members of the genus have five rays and are found in the waters around Australia, Indonesia and Antarctic New Zealand.

Characteristics

Members of the genus ''Paranepanthia'' are characterized by having five medium-length, broad-based rays that are narrowly flat on the oral (under) surface, with pointed or rounded ends.

Pedicellaria A pedicellaria (: pedicellariae) is a small wrench- or claw-shaped appendage with movable jaws, called valves, commonly found on echinoderms (phylum Echinodermata), particularly in sea stars (class Asteroidea) and sea urchins (class Echinoidea). ...

e are not present and the papular spaces are large with several small papulae. The marginal plates are in regular series, with tufts of short, needle-shaped spinelets, but the plates on the aboral (upper) surface are irregular. The

type species In International_Code_of_Zoological_Nomenclature, zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the spe ...

is '' Nepanthia platydisca'' Fisher, 1913.

Distribution

Members of the genus are found at depths down to about in Australia, Indonesia and Antarctic New Zealand.

Species

The World Asteroidea Dartabase lists the following species: *'' Paranepanthia aucklandensis'' (Koehler, 1920) *''

Paranepanthia brachiata ''Paranepanthia'' is a genus of starfish of the family (biology), family Asterinidae. Members of the genus have five rays and are found in the waters around Australia, Indonesia and Antarctic New Zealand. Characteristics Members of the genus ''P ...

'' (Koehler, 1910) *'' Paranepanthia grandis'' (H.L. Clark, 1928) *'' Paranepanthia platydisca'' (Fisher, 1913) *'' Paranepanthia praetermissa'' (Livingstone, 1933)

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3463710 Asterinidae Asteroidea genera