Table 1. Selection of morphological characters present (•) in the genera of the Asterinidae

Genera of Asterinidae
Morphological characters	Anseropoda	Aquilonastra	Asterina	Asterinides	Callopatiria	Cryptasterina	Disasterina	Indianastra	Kampylaster	Meridiastra	Nepanthia	Paranepanthia	Parvulastra	Patiria	Patiriella	Pseudasterina	Pseudonepanthia	Pseudopatiria	Stegnaster	Tegulaster	Tremaster
noticeable integument cover (fig. 10e)			•			•	•	•	•	•	•		•	•	•		•		•	•	•
interradii thin, inner surfaces connected (figs 2a, 7b)	•															•			•		•
habit arched, not flat (figs 3e, 17e)									•										•		•
rays usually 5 only			•		•	•	•	•	•			•	•	•	•	•		•	•	•	•
rays 5 and more	•	•		•						•	•						•
margins straight to slightly curved (figs 2a, i, 3e)	•			•		•		•		•			•		•				•		•
rays discrete, flat actinally, wide basally (figs 2b, c)	•	•	•	•		•	•	•	•	•		•		•	•	•				•
rays discrete, flat actinally, narrow basally (fig. 2e)					•
rays discrete, subcylindrical (figs 2j, 3c, d, 14e)											•						•	•
superambulacral plates present (figs 4a, 14e)		•			•	•	•	•			•		•	•	•		•			•
transactinal plates present (fig. 4f)											•
superactinal plates present (figs 4b, d, 15c)	•	•			•	•	•	•			•	•	•	•	•				•	•
interradial internal articulating supports (figs 7a, b)	•
internal resinous body lining (figs 4e, f)					•						•						•	•
abactinal plates imbricate (figs 8e, 10i, 15a)	•	•	•	•	•	•		•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•
abactinal plates loosely contiguous (figs 12a, b)							•
ray plates mostly in series (figs 2b, c, i, 9a, 13b)	•	•	•	•		•		•		•			•	•		•			•	•
ray plates mostly not in series (figs 3b, 12a, b)					•		•		•		•	•			•		•	•			•
few to many papulae per space (figs 10a, 15f)			•	•	•					•		•	•	•	•			•	•
mostly single papula per space (figs 9f, 13b)	•	•				•	•	•	•	•	•					•	•		•	•	•
spinelets opaque, stout, granuliform (figs 5a, b, 11b)						•			•	•			•	•	•	•			•		•
spinelets opaque, stout, elongate (figs 6a, 16h)			•										•		•			•
spinelets glassy, fine, acicular (figs 5c, 13d)				•								•								•
spinelets glassy, fine, not acicular (figs 9c-f)	•	•		•	•		•				•			•		•	•			•
spinelets absent, or glassy, very fine, often lost (fig. 13c)							•	•		•										•
body with integument/granule cover (figs 17a, c, d)									•										•		•
pedicellariae always present (fig. 6c)	•										•							•
pedicellariae sometimes present (figs 6a, b)		•	•					•												•
pedicellariae never present				•	•	•			•	•		•	•	•	•	•	•		•		•
glassy convexities always present (fig. 9c)		•			•		•		?	•	•								•	•
glassy convexities never present	•					•			?							•	•	•			•
superomarginal plates in regular series (figs 10c, 13d) •		•	•	•	•	•		•		•		•	•	•	•	•	•		•	•
superomarginal plates irregular (fig. 10e)							•		•		•						•	•
superomarginal plates absent																					•
inferomarginals project narrowly, or not at all (fig. 16g)					•	•					•					•	•	•
inferomarginal plates loosely contiguous (fig. 10e)							•
inferomarginal spinelets large, sacciform (fig. 10e)							•
inferomarginal spinelets acicular, dense tufts (fig. 13d)				•				•				•
furrow spines in longitudinal series (figs 5e, 10h, 16d) •		•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•
furrow spines in vertical series (fig. 17f)																					•
tube feet rows biserial (fig. 15b)	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•
tube feet rows quadriserial																					•
actinal plates in distinct oblique series (fig. 16c)					•	•	•		•			•	•	•	•	•			•	•	•