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<!DOCTYPE html><html xmlns:og="http://ogp.me/ns#" lang="en" xml:lang="en"><head><title>ADW: Luidia alternata: CLASSIFICATION</title><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><link rel="canonical" href="https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Luidia_alternata/classification/" /><script type="text/javascript" src="//code.jquery.com/jquery-3.6.0.min.js"></script><script type="text/javascript" src="//code.jquery.com/jquery-migrate-3.3.2.min.js"></script><script type="text/javascript" src="/static/js/compat.js"></script><link rel="shortcut icon" href="https://animaldiversity.org/favicon.ico" /><link href="//fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Gentium+Book+Basic:400,400italic,700,700italic" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" /><link href="//fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=PT+Sans:400,700,400italic,700italic" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" /><link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/static/bootstrap/css/bootstrap.css" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/static/css/pica.styles.css" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/static/css/pica.print.css" media="print" /> <script type="text/javascript" src="/static/js/Hyphenator.js"></script><link rel="stylesheet" href="/static/social-likes/social-likes_birman.css" /><style> .social-likes { margin: 0; } .social-likes__widget { margin: 0; } </style>  </head><body><div id="outerwrap"><div id="header" aria-role="header"><h1><a id="homelink" href="/">Animal Diversity Web</a></h1><div class="umlinks"><div class="relative"><a href="https://lsa.umich.edu/ummz/" id="ummzlink">University of Michigan Museum of Zoology</a><a href="https://www.umich.edu/" id="umlink">University of Michigan</a></div></div></div><div id="wrap" class="gradient"><div class="container-fluid"><div class="row-fluid"><div class="span2 sidebar left"><ul class="nav nav-tabs nav-stacked" id="sitemap"><li><a href="/">Home</a></li><li><a href="/about/">About Us</a></li><li><a href="/animal_names/">About Animal Names</a></li><li><a href="/teach/">Educational Resources</a></li><li><a href="/collections/">Special Collections</a></li><li><a href="/glossary/">Glossary</a></li><li><a href="/accounts/Animalia/">Browse Animalia</a></li></ul><h2 class="offscreen">More Information</h2><div class="well"><p> Confused by a <strong>class within a class</strong> or an <strong>order within an order</strong>? Please see our <strong><a href="/animal_names/rank_inconsistency/">brief essay</a></strong>. </p></div><div class="well"><h3>Additional Information</h3><ul class="unstyled"><li><a href="http://eol.org/search/?q=Luidia alternata&search=Go">Encyclopedia of Life</a></li></ul></div></div><div class="span7_5 blahblahblah main" aria-role="main"><h2 class="rank-species">Luidia alternata</h2><div class="social-likes" data-counters="no"><div class="facebook" title="Share link on Facebook">Facebook</div><div class="twitter" title="Share link on Twitter">Twitter</div></div><div class="inner-wrap"><ul class="taxon-listing"><li><div class="taxon-row even stripe-0"><div class="taxon-record classification"><span class="rank">Kingdom</span><a name="Animalia" href="/accounts/Animalia/classification/#Animalia" class="taxon-link rank-kingdom" id="Animalia">Animalia</a><span class="vernacular-name">animals</span></div><div class="taxon-features"><ul><li><a href="/accounts/Animalia/" class="feature feature-information" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Animalia: information (1)" data-delay="250" data-total="4749">Animalia: information (1)</a></li><li><a href="/accounts/Animalia/pictures/" class="feature feature-pictures" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Animalia: pictures (22861)" data-delay="250">Animalia: pictures (22861)</a></li><li><a href="/accounts/Animalia/specimens/" class="feature feature-specimens" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Animalia: specimens (7109)" data-delay="250">Animalia: specimens (7109)</a></li><li><a href="/accounts/Animalia/sounds/" class="feature feature-sounds" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Animalia: sounds (722)" data-delay="250">Animalia: sounds (722)</a></li><li><a href="/accounts/Animalia/maps/" class="feature feature-maps" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Animalia: maps (42)" data-delay="250">Animalia: maps (42)</a></li></ul></div></div><ul><li><div class="taxon-row odd stripe-1"><div class="taxon-record classification"><a name="Eumetazoa" href="/accounts/Eumetazoa/classification/#Eumetazoa" class="taxon-link rank-unspecified" id="Eumetazoa">Eumetazoa</a><span class="vernacular-name">metazoans</span></div><div class="taxon-features"><ul><li><span class="feature-off feature-information"></span></li><li><a href="/accounts/Eumetazoa/pictures/" class="feature feature-pictures" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Eumetazoa: pictures (22829)" data-delay="250">Eumetazoa: pictures (22829)</a></li><li><a href="/accounts/Eumetazoa/specimens/" class="feature feature-specimens" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Eumetazoa: specimens (7100)" data-delay="250">Eumetazoa: specimens (7100)</a></li><li><a href="/accounts/Eumetazoa/sounds/" class="feature feature-sounds" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Eumetazoa: sounds (722)" data-delay="250">Eumetazoa: sounds (722)</a></li><li><a href="/accounts/Eumetazoa/maps/" class="feature feature-maps" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Eumetazoa: maps (42)" data-delay="250">Eumetazoa: maps (42)</a></li></ul></div></div><ul><li><div class="taxon-row even stripe-2"><div class="taxon-record classification"><a name="Bilateria" href="/accounts/Bilateria/classification/#Bilateria" class="taxon-link rank-unspecified" id="Bilateria">Bilateria</a><span class="vernacular-name">bilaterally symmetrical animals</span></div><div class="taxon-features"><ul><li><span class="feature-off feature-information"></span></li><li><a href="/accounts/Bilateria/pictures/" class="feature feature-pictures" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Bilateria: pictures (22660)" data-delay="250">Bilateria: pictures (22660)</a></li><li><a href="/accounts/Bilateria/specimens/" class="feature feature-specimens" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Bilateria: specimens (7092)" data-delay="250">Bilateria: specimens (7092)</a></li><li><a href="/accounts/Bilateria/sounds/" class="feature feature-sounds" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Bilateria: sounds (722)" data-delay="250">Bilateria: sounds (722)</a></li><li><a href="/accounts/Bilateria/maps/" class="feature feature-maps" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Bilateria: maps (42)" data-delay="250">Bilateria: maps (42)</a></li></ul></div></div><ul><li><div class="taxon-row odd stripe-3"><div class="taxon-record classification"><a name="Deuterostomia" href="/accounts/Deuterostomia/classification/#Deuterostomia" class="taxon-link rank-unspecified" id="Deuterostomia">Deuterostomia</a><span class="vernacular-name">deuterostomes</span></div><div class="taxon-features"><ul><li><span class="feature-off feature-information"></span></li><li><a href="/accounts/Deuterostomia/pictures/" class="feature feature-pictures" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Deuterostomia: pictures (15298)" data-delay="250">Deuterostomia: pictures (15298)</a></li><li><a href="/accounts/Deuterostomia/specimens/" class="feature feature-specimens" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Deuterostomia: specimens (6845)" data-delay="250">Deuterostomia: specimens (6845)</a></li><li><a href="/accounts/Deuterostomia/sounds/" class="feature feature-sounds" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Deuterostomia: sounds (709)" data-delay="250">Deuterostomia: sounds (709)</a></li><li><span class="feature-off feature-maps"></span></li></ul></div></div><ul><li><div class="taxon-row even stripe-4"><div class="taxon-record classification"><a name="Echinodermata" href="/accounts/Echinodermata/classification/#Echinodermata" class="taxon-link rank-unspecified" id="Echinodermata">Echinodermata</a><span class="vernacular-name">sea stars, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, and relatives</span></div><div class="taxon-features"><ul><li><a href="/accounts/Echinodermata/" class="feature feature-information" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Echinodermata: information (1)" data-delay="250" data-total="42">Echinodermata: information (1)</a></li><li><a href="/accounts/Echinodermata/pictures/" class="feature feature-pictures" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Echinodermata: pictures (85)" data-delay="250">Echinodermata: pictures (85)</a></li><li><a href="/accounts/Echinodermata/specimens/" class="feature feature-specimens" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Echinodermata: specimens (16)" data-delay="250">Echinodermata: specimens (16)</a></li><li><span class="feature-off feature-sounds"></span></li><li><span class="feature-off feature-maps"></span></li></ul></div></div><ul><li><div class="taxon-row odd stripe-5"><div class="taxon-record classification"><span class="rank">Class</span><a name="Asteroidea" href="/accounts/Asteroidea/classification/#Asteroidea" class="taxon-link rank-class" id="Asteroidea">Asteroidea</a></div><div class="taxon-features"><ul><li><a href="/accounts/Asteroidea/" class="feature feature-information" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Asteroidea: information (1)" data-delay="250" data-total="18">Asteroidea: information (1)</a></li><li><a href="/accounts/Asteroidea/pictures/" class="feature feature-pictures" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Asteroidea: pictures (35)" data-delay="250">Asteroidea: pictures (35)</a></li><li><a href="/accounts/Asteroidea/specimens/" class="feature feature-specimens" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Asteroidea: specimens (1)" data-delay="250">Asteroidea: specimens (1)</a></li><li><span class="feature-off feature-sounds"></span></li><li><span class="feature-off feature-maps"></span></li></ul></div></div><ul><li><div class="taxon-row even stripe-6"><div class="taxon-record classification"><span class="rank">Order</span><a name="Paxillosida" href="/accounts/Paxillosida/classification/#Paxillosida" class="taxon-link rank-order" id="Paxillosida">Paxillosida</a></div><div class="taxon-features"><ul><li><span class="feature-off feature-information"></span></li><li><a href="/accounts/Paxillosida/pictures/" class="feature feature-pictures" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Paxillosida: pictures (7)" data-delay="250">Paxillosida: pictures (7)</a></li><li><span class="feature-off feature-specimens"></span></li><li><span class="feature-off feature-sounds"></span></li><li><span class="feature-off feature-maps"></span></li></ul></div></div><ul><li><div class="taxon-row odd stripe-7"><div class="taxon-record classification"><span class="rank">Family</span><a name="Luidiidae" href="/accounts/Luidiidae/classification/#Luidiidae" class="taxon-link rank-family" id="Luidiidae">Luidiidae</a></div><div class="taxon-features"><ul><li><span class="feature-off feature-information"></span></li><li><a href="/accounts/Luidiidae/pictures/" class="feature feature-pictures" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Luidiidae: pictures (4)" data-delay="250">Luidiidae: pictures (4)</a></li><li><span class="feature-off feature-specimens"></span></li><li><span class="feature-off feature-sounds"></span></li><li><span class="feature-off feature-maps"></span></li></ul></div></div><ul><li><div class="taxon-row even stripe-8"><div class="taxon-record classification"><span class="rank">Genus</span><a name="Luidia" href="/accounts/Luidia/classification/#Luidia" class="taxon-link rank-genus" id="Luidia">Luidia</a></div><div class="taxon-features"><ul><li><span class="feature-off feature-information"></span></li><li><a href="/accounts/Luidia/pictures/" class="feature feature-pictures" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Luidia: pictures (4)" data-delay="250">Luidia: pictures (4)</a></li><li><span class="feature-off feature-specimens"></span></li><li><span class="feature-off feature-sounds"></span></li><li><span class="feature-off feature-maps"></span></li></ul></div></div><ul><li><div class="taxon-row odd current stripe-9" title="Current Taxa Record"><div class="taxon-record classification"><span class="rank">Species</span><a name="Luidia_alternata" href="/accounts/Luidia_alternata/classification/#Luidia_alternata" class="taxon-link rank-species" id="Luidia_alternata">Luidia alternata</a></div><div class="taxon-features"><ul><li><a href="/accounts/Luidia_alternata/" class="feature feature-information" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Luidia alternata: information (1)" data-delay="250" data-total="1">Luidia alternata: information (1)</a></li><li><a href="/accounts/Luidia_alternata/pictures/" class="feature feature-pictures" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Luidia alternata: pictures (1)" data-delay="250">Luidia alternata: pictures (1)</a></li><li><span class="feature-off feature-specimens"></span></li><li><span class="feature-off feature-sounds"></span></li><li><span class="feature-off feature-maps"></span></li></ul></div></div></li></ul></li></ul></li></ul></li></ul></li></ul></li></ul></li></ul></li></ul></li></ul></li></ul></div></div><div class="span2_5 right sidebar"><div class="well" id="pocket-guide-link"><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/adw-pocket-guide/id916179421?mt=8" target="_blank"><i class="icon-download icon-white" style="vertical-align: bottom"></i> ADW Pocket Guides on the iOS App Store! </a><p>The Animal Diversity Web team is excited to announce ADW Pocket Guides!</p><p><a href="/news/5009059054038197651/">Read more...</a></p></div><h2 class="offscreen">Search</h2><div id="site-search"><form action="/search" method="GET"><label for="q" class="offscreen">Enter search text</label><input value="" id="q" name="q" class="span12" size="15" type="text" placeholder="Search ADW" /><button class="btn"><i class="icon-zoom-in"></i><span class="offscreen">Search</span></button><p style="max-height: 35px"><label for="feature-list" class="offscreen">Search in feature</label><select size="1" name="feature" class="feature-list input-medium" id="feature-list"><option value="INFORMATION">Taxon Information</option><option value="COLLECTIONS">Contributor Galleries</option><option value="TOPICS">Topics</option><option value="CLASSIFICATION">Classification</option></select></p></form><ul class="unstyled"><li><a href="https://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/quaardvark/">Explore Data @ Quaardvark</a></li><li><a href="/search_guide/">Search Guide</a></li></ul></div><h2 class="offscreen">Navigation Links</h2><dl class="tabbed features"><dd class="feature-information"><a name="feature-information" href="/accounts/Luidia_alternata/" id="feature-information"> Information </a></dd><dd class="feature-pictures"><a name="feature-pictures" href="/accounts/Luidia_alternata/pictures/" id="feature-pictures"> Pictures </a></dd><dd class="feature-classification active"><a name="feature-classification" href="/accounts/Luidia_alternata/classification/#Luidia_alternata" class="active" id="feature-classification"> Classification </a></dd></dl><div class="classification well"><h3>Classification</h3><ul class="unstyled"><li><span class="rank">Kingdom</span><a href="/accounts/Animalia/" class="taxon-name rank-kingdom">Animalia</a><span class="vernacular-name">animals</span><div class="features"><a href="/accounts/Animalia/" class="feature feature-information" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Animalia: information (1)" data-delay="250" data-total="4749">Animalia: information (1)</a><a href="/accounts/Animalia/pictures/" class="feature feature-pictures" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Animalia: pictures (22861)" data-delay="250">Animalia: pictures (22861)</a><a href="/accounts/Animalia/specimens/" class="feature feature-specimens" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Animalia: specimens (7109)" data-delay="250">Animalia: specimens (7109)</a><a href="/accounts/Animalia/sounds/" class="feature feature-sounds" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Animalia: sounds (722)" data-delay="250">Animalia: sounds (722)</a><a href="/accounts/Animalia/maps/" class="feature feature-maps" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Animalia: maps (42)" data-delay="250">Animalia: maps (42)</a></div></li><li><span class="rank">Class</span><a href="/accounts/Asteroidea/" class="taxon-name rank-class">Asteroidea</a><span class="vernacular-name"></span><div class="features"><a href="/accounts/Asteroidea/" class="feature feature-information" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Asteroidea: information (1)" data-delay="250" data-total="18">Asteroidea: information (1)</a><a href="/accounts/Asteroidea/pictures/" class="feature feature-pictures" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Asteroidea: pictures (35)" data-delay="250">Asteroidea: pictures (35)</a><a href="/accounts/Asteroidea/specimens/" class="feature feature-specimens" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Asteroidea: specimens (1)" data-delay="250">Asteroidea: specimens (1)</a><span class="feature-off feature-sounds"></span><span class="feature-off feature-maps"></span></div></li><li><span class="rank">Order</span><a href="/accounts/Paxillosida/" class="taxon-name rank-order">Paxillosida</a><span class="vernacular-name"></span><div class="features"><span class="feature-off feature-information"></span><a href="/accounts/Paxillosida/pictures/" class="feature feature-pictures" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Paxillosida: pictures (7)" data-delay="250">Paxillosida: pictures (7)</a><span class="feature-off feature-specimens"></span><span class="feature-off feature-sounds"></span><span class="feature-off feature-maps"></span></div></li><li><span class="rank">Family</span><a href="/accounts/Luidiidae/" class="taxon-name rank-family">Luidiidae</a><span class="vernacular-name"></span><div class="features"><span class="feature-off feature-information"></span><a href="/accounts/Luidiidae/pictures/" class="feature feature-pictures" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Luidiidae: pictures (4)" data-delay="250">Luidiidae: pictures (4)</a><span class="feature-off feature-specimens"></span><span class="feature-off feature-sounds"></span><span class="feature-off feature-maps"></span></div></li><li><span class="rank">Genus</span><a href="/accounts/Luidia/" class="taxon-name rank-genus">Luidia</a><span class="vernacular-name"></span><div class="features"><span class="feature-off feature-information"></span><a href="/accounts/Luidia/pictures/" class="feature feature-pictures" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Luidia: pictures (4)" data-delay="250">Luidia: pictures (4)</a><span class="feature-off feature-specimens"></span><span class="feature-off feature-sounds"></span><span class="feature-off feature-maps"></span></div></li><li class="active"><span class="rank">Species</span><a href="/accounts/Luidia_alternata/" class="taxon-name rank-species">Luidia alternata</a><span class="vernacular-name"></span><div class="features"><a href="/accounts/Luidia_alternata/" class="feature feature-information" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Luidia alternata: information (1)" data-delay="250" data-total="1">Luidia alternata: information (1)</a><a href="/accounts/Luidia_alternata/pictures/" class="feature feature-pictures" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Luidia alternata: pictures (1)" data-delay="250">Luidia alternata: pictures (1)</a><span class="feature-off feature-specimens"></span><span class="feature-off feature-sounds"></span><span class="feature-off feature-maps"></span></div></li></ul></div></div></div></div></div><div id="footer" aria-role="contentinfo"><div class="inner-footer"><div class="page-citation"><p class="content">To cite this page: Myers, P., R. Espinosa, C. S. Parr, T. Jones, G. S. Hammond, and T. A. Dewey. 2024. The Animal Diversity Web (online). Accessed at https://animaldiversity.org.</p></div><div class="disclaimer"><p class="content"><strong>Disclaimer:</strong> The Animal Diversity Web is an educational resource <strong>written largely by and for college students</strong>. ADW doesn't cover all species in the world, nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe. Though we edit our accounts for accuracy, we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts. While ADW staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable, we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control. </p></div><div class="footer-links"><ul class="unstyled"><li><a href="https://www.umich.edu/">U-M Gateway</a> | <a href="https://lsa.umich.edu/ummz/">U-M Museum of Zoology</a></li><li><a href="https://lsa.umich.edu/eeb/">U-M Ecology and Evolutionary Biology</a></li><li> 漏 2020 Regents of the University of Michigan </li><li><a href="/feedback/error_form/">Report Error</a> / <a href="/feedback/comment_form/">Comment</a></li></ul></div><div class="thanks-links"><p>This material is based upon work supported by the <a href="https://nsf.gov">National Science Foundation</a> Grants DRL 0089283, DRL 0628151, DUE 0633095, DRL 0918590, and DUE 1122742. Additional support has come from the Marisla Foundation, UM College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, Museum of Zoology, and Information and Technology Services. </p><p> The ADW Team gratefully acknowledges their support. </p></div></div></div><script></script></div><script type="text/javascript"> var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? 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