Brisingida
Introduction The  '''Brisingids''' are deep-sea-dwelling starfish in the order '''Brisingida'''.
Description These starfish have between 6 and 18 long, attenuated arms which they use for suspension feeding. Other characteristics include a single series of marginals, a fused ring of disc plates, the lack of actinal plates, a spool-like ambulacral column, reduced abactinal plates, and crossed pedicellariae. They are 40 times the size of disk radius and have 7–20 flexible spiny arms.
Distribution Brisingida occur in a number of deep-sea locations, particularly in the Caribbean and New Zealand.An orange brisingid on black coral at 1,950 m in California, Davidson Seamount This type of species are found of varying size especially in the eastern Pacific Ocean at a depth of 1,820–2,418 m.
Taxonomy The Brisingida contain two families, with 18 genera:*Family Brisingidae, G.O. Sars, 1875**Genus ''Astrolirus'', Fisher, 1917 — (two species)**Genus ''Astrostephane'', Fisher, 1917 — (two species)**Genus ''Brisinga'' Asbjørnsen, 1856 (synonym: ''Craterobrisinga'', Fisher, 1916) — (20 species)**Genus ''Brisingaster'' Loriol, 1883 — (monotypic)**Genus ''Brisingella'' Fisher, 1917 — (monotypic)**Genus ''Brisingenes'' Fisher, 1917 — (four species)**Genus ''Hymenodiscus'' Perrier, 1884 — (16 species)**Genus ''Midgardia'' Downey, 1972 — (monotypic)**Genus ''Novodinia'' Dartnall, Pawson, Pope & B.J. Smith, 1969 (synonym: ''Odinia'', Perrier, 1885) — (13 species)**Genus ''Odinella'' Fisher, 1940 — (monotypic)**Genus ''Stegnobrisinga'' Fisher, 1916 — (three species)*Family Freyellidae, Downey, 1986**Genus ''Astrocles'' Fisher, 1917 — (three species)**Genus ''Belgicella'' Ludwig, 1903 — (monotypic)**Genus ''Colpaster'' Sladen, 1889 — (two species)**Genus ''Freyastera'' Downey, 1986 — (six species)**Genus ''Freyella'' Perrier, 1885 (synonym: ''Freyellidea'', Fisher, 1917) — (31 species)**Genus ''Freyellaster'' Fisher 1918 — (five species)
References
Further reading *Hansson, H.G. (2001). Echinodermata, in: Costello, M.J. ''et al.'' (Ed.) (2001). European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. ''Collection Patrimoines Naturels'', 50: pp. 336–351 (look up in IMIS) details*Clark, A.M. and M.E. Downey. (1992). Starfishes of the Atlantic. Chapman & Hall Identification Guides, 3.Chapman & Hall: London, UK. . xxvi, 794 pp. (look up in IMIS) details*Downey. M.E. (1986). Revision of the Atlantic Brisingida (Echinodermata: Asteroidea), with description of a new genus and family. ''Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology'' No.435.57pp. details*Fisher, W.K. (1917). New genera and species of Brisingidae. ''Annals and Magazine of Natural History'' 20(8): 418–431.details*Sladen, W.P. (1889). Report on the Asteroidea. Report on the Scientific Results of the Voyage of H.M.S. Challenger during the years 1873–1876, ''Zoology'' 30(51): xlii + 893 pages 118 plates. details*Clark, A.M.and Mah, C. (2001). An index of names of recent Asteroidea, part 4.Forcipulatida and Brisingida, in: Jangoux, M.; Lawrence, J.M. (Ed.) (2001). ''Echinoderm Studies'', 6: pp. 229–347 (look up in IMIS) details