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 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.

Subphylum Asterozoa

Class Asteroidea

Superorder Forcipulatacea, order Forcipulatida

Family Asteriidae

Superorder Spinulosacea, order Spinulosida

Family Echinasteridae

Superorder Valvatacea, order Paxillosida

Family Astropectinidae

Order Valvatida,

Family Acanthasteridae

Class Ophiuroidea

Order Euryalida

Family Gorgonocephalidae

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
  • Amphipholis squamata
  • Ophiodaphne scripta Pansy-shell brittlestar
    Family Ophiactidae
  • Ophiactis carnea Ljungman, 1867 Snake-star
  • ''Ophiactis savignyi''
    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
  • Ophiocoma scolopendrina
  • Ophiocoma valenciae Müller & Troschel, 1842 Snake armed brittlestar
    Family Ophionereididae
  • Ophionereis dubia dubia Striped brittlestar
  • Ophionereis porrecta Lyman, 1860 Striped brittlestar
    Family Ophiotrichidae
  • Macrophiothrix hirsuta cheneyi
  • Ophiocnemis marmorata Hitchhiker brittlestar
  • Ophiothela danae Verrill, 1869 Commensal brittlestar
  • Ophiothrix (Acanthophiothrix) purpurea von Martens, 1867
  • Ophiothrix (Ophiothrix) foveolata Marktanner-Turneretscher, 1887
  • Ophiothrix fragilis Hairy brittlestar
  • Ophiothrix fragilis var. triglochis Müller & Troschel, 1842

Infraorder Ophiodermatina

Family Ophiodermatidae
Subfamily Ophiarachninae

Subphylum Crinozoa

Class Crinoidea, subclass Articulata

Order Comatulida, sub-order Comatulidina

Super-family Antedonoidea, family Antedonidae, subfamily Antedoninae

Subphylum Echinozoa

Class Echinoidea, subclass Cidaroidea

Order Cidaroida

Superfamily Cidaridea, family Cidaridae, subfamily Cidarinae

Subclass Euechinoidea, infraclass Acroechinoidea

Order Diadematoida

Family Diadematidae

Infraclass Carinacea

Superorder Echinacea, order Arbacioida

Family Arbaciidae

Order Camarodonta, infraorder Echinidea

Family Echinidae

Infraorder Temnopleuridea

Family Temnopleuridae

Order Stomopneustoida

Family Stomopneustidae

Infraclass Irregularia

Superorder Atelostomata, order Spatangoida, suborder Brissidina

Superfamily Spatangidea, family Loveniidae, subfamily Echinocardiinae

Superorder Neognathostomata, order Clypeasteroida, suborder Scutellina, infraorder Scutelliformes

Superfamily Scutellidea, family Astriclypeidae

Infraorder Laganiformes

Family Echinocyamidae

Order Echinolampadoida

Family Echinolampadidae

Class Holothuroidea

Order Apodida

Family Chiridotidae

Order Aspidochirotida

Family Holothuriidae

Order Dendrochirotida

Family Cucumariidae
  • Aslia spyridophora Grey sea cucumber syn. Cucumaria spyridophora, Pentacucumis spyridophora
  • Pentacta doliolum Cask sea cucumber, mauve sea cucumber
  • Pseudocnella insolens Red-chested sea cucumber syn. Cucumaria insolens Théel, 1886
  • Pseudocnella sykion Black sea cucumber syn. Cucumaria sykion
  • Roweia stephensoni Stephenson's sea cucumber syn. Cucumaria stephensoni John, 1939
  • Roweia frauenfeldi frauenfeldi Horseshoe sea cucumber syn. Cucumaria frauenfeldi Ludwig, 1882 
  • Trachasina crucifera syn. ''Trachythyone crucifera''
    Family Psolidae
  • Psolus griffithsi Thandar, 2009
    Family Phyllophoridae
  • Stolus buccalis syn. Thyone sacellus
  • Thyone aurea Golden sea cucumber