PBDB Taxon

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Metopaster thoracifer

Asteroidea - Valvatida - Goniasteridae

Taxonomy

Oreaster thoracifer was named by Geinitz (1871). It is not extant. Its type specimen is supposedly housed in the Natural History Museum of Dresden.

It was recombined as Pentaceros thoracifer by von Zittel (1876) and von Zittel (1883); it was recombined as Metopaster thoracifer by Spencer (1913), Rasmussen (1950), Gale (1987), Breton (1992) and Breton and Néraudeau (2008).

Sister species lacking formal opinion data

M. tennesseensis

Synonyms

Stellaster plauensis was named by Geinitz (1871). It is not extant.

It was recombined as Asterias plauensis by Quenstedt (1876); it was recombined as Oreaster plauensis by Wanderer (1909); it was synonymized subjectively with Metopaster thoracifer by Villier (2010).
Metopaster cornutus was named by Sladen (1893). It is not extant. Its type specimen is BNHM E 20723.

It was synonymized subjectively with Metopaster thoracifer by Breton (1992).

Synonymy list

Year	Name and author
1871	Stellaster plauensis Geinitz p. 88 figs. pl. 21 fig. 3-14 (non fig. 6)
1871	Oreaster thoracifer Geinitz p. 89 figs. pl. 22 fig. 1-14, 16 (only)
1876	Asterias plauensis Quenstedt p. 53 figs. pl. 91 fig. 169-171
1876	Pentaceros thoracifer von Zittel p. 236 figs. fig. 272b
1883	Pentaceros thoracifer von Zittel p. 461 figs. fig. 333b
1893	Metopaster cornutus Sladen pp. 55-57 figs. pl. 14, fig. 5
1909	Oreaster thoracifer Wanderer pp. 8-9 figs. pl. 2 fig. 2
1909	Oreaster plauensis Wanderer p. 9 figs. pl. 2 fig. 1
1911	Stellaster plauensis Fric p. 75 figs. fig. 319
1911	Oreaster thoracifera Fric p. 76
1913	Metopaster thoracifer Spencer p. 110 figs. pl. 10 fig. 1-3
1937	Oreaster thoracifer Lehner p. 173 figs. pl. 17 fig. 10
1950	Metopaster thoracifer Rasmussen pp. 24-26 figs. fig. 5, pl. 3 fig. 18
1987	Metopaster thoracifer Gale p. 37 figs. fig. 12, pl. 1 fig. 5
1992	Metopaster thoracifer Breton pp. 124-126 figs. fig. 46
2008	Metopaster thoracifer Breton and Néraudeau pp. 329-330 figs. figs. 2.2a-b, 4.3

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Rank	Name	Author
kingdom	Animalia	()
—	Bilateria
—	Eubilateria	Ax 1987
—	Deuterostomia
—	Ambulacraria
phylum	Echinodermata
subphylum	Eleutherozoa
—	Asterozoa	()

Rank	Name	Author
class	Asteroidea
subclass	Ambuloasteroidea
infraclass	Neoasteroidea	()
superorder	Valvatacea
order	Valvatida
family	Goniasteridae
genus	Metopaster
species	thoracifer	()

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

†Metopaster thoracifer Geinitz 1871

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Invalid names: Metopaster cornutus Sladen 1893 [synonym], Stellaster plauensis Geinitz 1871 [synonym]

Diagnosis

Reference	Diagnosis
G. Breton 1992	Two or four intermediate superomarginal per side (according to the type of plates). Enlarged ultimate superomarginal low, triangular, longer than wide, in contact with three to four inferomarginals. External face with typically one, two or more bulge erected abactinally or abradially and grounded on a crest or an inflated part along the abactinal face. The association of crest and bulges is more or less developed and lack sometime. Granule pits on the domed part of the external face.