Freyellidae

The Freyellidae are a family of deep-sea-dwelling starfish. It is one of two families in the order Brisingida. The majority of species in this family are found in Antarctic waters and near Australia. Other species have been found near New Zealand and the United States.

==Taxonomy== The starfish Brisinga endecacnemos was discovered in deep water off Norway in 1856, followed by another abyssal species, Brisinga coronata, now Hymenodiscus coronata. A new order, Brisingida, was erected to accommodate these, consisting of a single family, Brisingidae. Since then dozens of new species have been described from deep water habitats and in 1986, the American zoologist Maureen Downey split the family on morphological and behavioural grounds, creating the new family Freyellidae.