Meridiastra

Meridiastra is a genus of starfish in the family Asterinidae. The genus is found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, with most records from the waters around Australia. They occur in shallow waters down to a depth of about . Meridiastra are morphologically similar to the Atlantic genus Asterina. They are also phylogenetically close and possibly sister genera.

==Etymology== The generic name is derived from the Latin meridies (=south) and astrum (=star), in reference to the southern Australian and Pacific distribution of the genus (at the time of description – the genus now includes also species occurring on the northern hemisphere (Mexico, Panama)). thumb|left|alt=6-armed star fish|Meridiastra calcar – an example of a species with distinct rays thumb|left|alt=6-armed star fish|Meridiastra medius – an example of a species with indistinct rays