As originally described, Dictenophiura was characterized by the longitudinally divided first lateral armplates, the presence of an inner and outer arm comb, a flat elevated disc, short stout flattened arms and small upper and under armplates. Three species were assigned to the genus: D. carnea (Forbes), the type species, D. anoidea H.L. Clark from the Atlantic Ocean, and D. stellata (Studer) from the Pacific. A third Atlantic species, D. skoogi (Koehler), is now recognized as a subspecies of D. carnea. Two further species have been described from the Pacific Ocean: D. ctenophora (H.L. Clark 1909) and D. squamosa Baker (1979). Mortensen (1933) and Madsen (1970) noted that the divided first dorsal armplate is not a constant feature in D. carnea or D. stellata; Mortensen (1933) suggested that D. stellata (Studer) may represent a separate genus.
Both Madsen (1970) and Paterson (1985) in commenting on the Atlantic species regarded Dictenophiura as a subgenus only; both Baker (1979) and Rowe (1995), in reference to Pacific species, preferred full generic status, which I have followed.
Sufficient material is lacking to determine the generic status of Pacific species referred to Dictenophiura. Of the Pacific species, D. stellata sometimes has the first dorsal armplate longitudinally divided, while in D. ctenophora and D. squamosa the division is transverse. One further species from the Pacific Ocean is now added, but I note that none of these four may be congeneric with D. carnea.