A taxonomic review of the genus Astrocladus (Echinodermata, Ophiuroidea, Euryalida, Gorgonocephalidae) from Japanese coastal waters

Japanese species of the genus (Echinodermata, Ophiuroidea, Euryalida, Gorgonocephalidae) are reviewed. recently has two junior synonyms, Döderlein and Döderlein, however, status of these species has long been questioned. These species concepts have not been reviewed in recent years and no molecular phylogenetic analyses have been performed. Observations of the lectotype of , as well as the lectotype and four paralectotypes of and the holotype of have revealed that and are conspecific and morphologically distinguishable from . and are supported as distinct species by our molecular data. Additionally, we re-describe and , based on recently collected specimens and the holotype. We conclude that four species, , , , and are present in Japanese waters.