Comatulidae


Comatulidae is a family of comatulid crinoids. Since 2015, it replaces the family Comasteridae.

Description and characteristics

This family is of recent restoration, and still has no consensual description. However the description of the family Comasteridae remains partially valid.
This family counts between 93 and 95 species, distributed in 21 genera, which makes it the second most diversified family of crinoids the behind Antedonidae, representing approximately 1/6th of known crinoid species. It contains most of the big species of shallow tropical feather stars, in particular in the Indo-Pacific.

List of genera

This family has been recently restored following genetic works from Charles Messing's team.
It contains the following genera: