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.

An echinoderm () is any member of the phylum Echinodermata (). The adults are recognisable by their (usually five-point) radial symmetry, or pentamerous 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, after the chordates. Echinoderms are the largest entirely marine phylum. The first definitive echinoderms appeared near the start of the Cambrian.

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
• 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

• Astropyga radiata (Leske, 1778)
• Diadema savignyi (Audouin, 1829) Needle urchin
• Diadema setosum (Leske, 1778) Needle urchin
• Echinothrix calamaris (Pallas, 1774) Banded urchin

Infraclass Carinacea

Superorder Echinacea, order Arbacioida

Family Arbaciidae

• Tetrapygus niger (Molina, 1782) Black urchin

Order Camarodonta, infraorder Echinidea

Family Echinidae

• Echinus gilchristi Bell, 1904 Deep water urchin

Family Parechinidae

• Parechinus angulosus (Leske, 1778) Cape urchin

Superfamily Odontophora, family Echinometridae

• Colobocentrotus (Podophora) atratus (Linnaeus, 1758) 
• Echinometra mathaei (Blainville, 1825) Oval urchin
• Echinostrephus molaris (Blainville, 1825) Tuft urchin
• Heterocentrotus mamillatus (Linnaeus, 1758) Slate pencil urchin

Family Toxopneustidae

• Toxopneustes pileolus (Lamarck, 1816) Flower urchin
• Tripneustes gratilla (Linnaeus, 1758) Short-spined urchin

Infraorder Temnopleuridea

Family Temnopleuridae

• Salmacis bicolor L. Agassiz in L. Agassiz & Desor, 1846 Bicoloured urchin

Order Stomopneustoida

Family Stomopneustidae

• Stomopneustes variolaris (Lamarck, 1816) Pot-hole urchin

Infraclass Irregularia

Superorder Atelostomata, order Spatangoida, suborder Brissidina

Superfamily Spatangidea, family Loveniidae, subfamily Echinocardiinae

• Echinocardium cordatum (Pennant, 1777) Heart urchin
• Lovenia elongata (Gray, 1845)

Family Maretiidae

• Spatagobrissus mirabilis H.L. Clark, 1923 Heart urchin

Superorder Neognathostomata, order Clypeasteroida, suborder Scutellina, infraorder Scutelliformes

Superfamily Scutellidea, family Astriclypeidae

• Echinodiscus auritus Leske, 1778 Pansy shell
• Echinodiscus bisperforatus Leske, 1778 Pansy shell

Infraorder Laganiformes

Family Echinocyamidae

• Echinocyamus sp.

Order Echinolampadoida

Family Echinolampadidae

• Echinolampas crassa (Bell, 1880) Lamp urchin

Class Holothuroidea

Order Apodida

Family Chiridotidae

• Taeniogyrus dayi Cherbonnier, 1952

Family Synaptidae

• Leptosynapta knysnaensis(Cherbonnier, 1952) 
• Synapta maculata (Chamisso & Eysenhardt, 1821) Snake sea cucumber

Order Aspidochirotida

Family Holothuriidae

• Bohadschia subrubra (Quoy & Gaimard, 1834)
• Holothuria (Halodeima) atra Jaeger, 1833
• Holothuria (Mertensiothuria) leucospilota (Brandt, 1835) Tapering sea cucumber
• Holothuria (Metriatyla) scabra Jaeger, 1833
• Holothuria (Microthele) nobilis (Selenka, 1867) Noble sea cucumber
• Holothuria (Selenkothuria) parva Krauss in Lampert, 1885 Banana sea cucumber
• Holothuria (Semperothuria) cinerascens (Brandt, 1835) Tufted sea cucumber

Family Stichopodidae

• Neostichopus grammatus (H.L. Clark, 1923) Warty sea cucumber
• Stichopus chloronotus Brandt, 1835
• Thelenota ananas (Jaeger, 1833) Pineapple sea cucumber

Order Dendrochirotida

Family Cucumariidae

• Aslia spyridophora (H.L. Clark, 1923) Grey sea cucumber syn. Cucumaria spyridophora, Pentacucumis spyridophora
• Pentacta doliolum (Pallas, 1766) Cask sea cucumber, mauve sea cucumber
• Pseudocnella insolens (Théel, 1886) Red-chested sea cucumber syn. Cucumaria insolens Théel, 1886
• Pseudocnella sykion (Lampert, 1885) Black sea cucumber syn. Cucumaria sykion (Lampert, 1885)
• Roweia stephensoni (John, 1939) Stephenson's sea cucumber syn. Cucumaria stephensoni John, 1939
• Roweia frauenfeldi frauenfeldi (Ludwig, 1882) Horseshoe sea cucumber syn. Cucumaria frauenfeldi Ludwig, 1882 
• Trachasina crucifera (Semper, 1869) syn. Trachythyone crucifera (Semper, 1869)

Family Psolidae

• Psolus griffithsi Thandar, 2009

Family Phyllophoridae

• Stolus buccalis (Stimpson, 1855) syn. Thyone sacellus (Selenka)
• Thyone aurea (Quoy & Gaimard, 1834) Golden sea cucumber