Parvulastra | |
---|---|
Parvulastra exigua | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Echinodermata |
Class: | Asteroidea |
Order: | Valvatida |
Family: | Asterinidae |
Genus: | Parvulastra O'Loughlin, 2004[1] |
Parvulastra is a genus of starfish belonging to the family Asterinidae.[2][3] The species of this genus are found in Southern Hemisphere.[1][3]
The genus shows an unusual reproductive mode within Asterinidae: Parvulastra parvivipara and Parvulastra vivipara are viviparous. Prior to their description as distinct species, they were considered variants of Parvulastra exigua, which has free-living (but non-feeding) larvae.[4]