title: Taxonomic guide and historical review of starfishes in northeastern Brazil (Echinodermata, Asteroidea).
abstract: Presently more than 1900 species of sea stars are recognized, of which 77 are recorded for the coast of Brazil. Although the first starfish record in Brazil was published 363 years ago, our knowledge of this fauna remains unsatisfactory from a systematic and ecological point of view, particularly in the north and northeastern regions of the country. This study provides the first annotated list of sea stars from northeastern Brazil. Material described herein is housed at the collections of the Federal University of Paraíba, Federal University of Sergipe, and the Federal University of Bahia, Museum of Zoology of the University of São Paulo and Museu Nacional do Rio de Janeiro. Twenty-one species were identified, belonging to 12 genera, 10 families, and 5 orders. Descriptions of species are provided. Three new occurrences were recorded for northeast Brazil: Astropectenalligator, Luidialudwigiscotti, and Mithrodiaclavigera. Highest diversities of Asteroidea were encountered for the states of Bahia (n = 14 spp), Paraíba (n = 12 spp) and Pernambuco (n = 9 spp). No species were recorded for the states of Maranhão and Sergipe. Sandy substrates and depths below 10 m were the least sampled areas over the continental shelf. Herein we provide a first panorama on the fauna of Asteroidea occurring in the northeast region of Brazil, hopefully to function as a basic reference for biodiversity studies in this poorly studied area.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Zoologia), Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia, Laboratório de Invertebrados Marinhos Paulo Young, Bairro Cidade Universitária s/n, CEP. 58059-900, João Pessoa, PB, Brasil.
authors.forename: Anne Isabelley
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Gondim
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Zoologia), Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia, Laboratório de Invertebrados Marinhos Paulo Young, Bairro Cidade Universitária s/n, CEP. 58059-900, João Pessoa, PB, Brasil.
authors.forename: Martin Lindsey
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Christoffersen
authors.affiliation: Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, CCBS, Departamento de Biologia, Laboratório de Biologia Marinha, Campus I, Rua Baraúnas, 351, Bairro Universitário, CEP 58429-500, Campina Grande, PB, Brasil.
authors.forename: Thelma Lúcia
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Pereira Dias
keywords: Echinoderms; check list; northeastern Brazil; sea-stars; taxonomy