Callopatiria


Callopatiria is a genus of starfish of the family Asterinidae. The genus is found in shallow waters off South Africa, down to a depth of about.

Characteristics

Members of the genus Callopatiria have five long, narrow rays, rounded on the upper surface and tapering to a rounded tip. They are medium-sized, reaching a radius of in Callopatiria granifera. The body is flat on the oral surface but convex on the aboral surface. The plates on the rays are irregular and are covered by numerous glassy spinelets, finger-like on the primary plates and narrowly conical on the secondary plates. No pedicellariae are present and the papular spaces are large with numerous papulae.

Species

There are three recognized species:Callopatiria cabrinovici O'Loughlin, 2009Callopatiria formosa