Forcipulatida

Forcipulatida is an order of sea stars made up of three families and 49 genera. Its members are distinguished by pedicellariae that feature a short stalk and three skeletal ossicles, a trait shared with brisingid sea stars, though forcipulatids generally have sturdier bodies. The order includes familiar species like the common starfish, Asterias rubens, and its range extends from North Carolina in the United States down to Santos in Brazil. The order is divided into three families: Asteriidae (39 genera), Heliasteridae (two genera), and Zoroasteridae (eight genera).

An alternative classification from the World Register of Marine Species lists seven families and 64 genera: Asteriidae, Heliasteridae, Pedicellasteridae, Pycnopodiidae, Stichasteridae, Zoroasteridae. A 2020 study using phylogenetic analysis and scanning electron microscopy of skeletons and ossicles from the superorder Forcipulatacea found Asteriidae, Stichasteridae, Zoroasteridae, and Brisingida to be monophyletic.