A family of starfish characterized by comb-like tube feet and pentagonal body shapes, found primarily on sandy seafloors worldwide.
From the genus name 'Astropecten' plus the Latin family suffix '-idae.' This taxonomic classification became standardized in 19th-century marine biology.
The Astropectinidae family shows how starfish invaded sandy environments by evolving special 'comb feet'—they're like underwater vacuum cleaners that suck up small creatures from the seafloor!
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