Asteroidea - Valvatida - Goniasteridae

Alternative combination: Metopaster poulseni

Synonyms: Metopaster stevensensis Brünnich-Nielsen 1943, Ravniaster simplex Brünnich-Nielsen 1943, Ravniaster virgineus Brünnich-Nielsen 1943

Full reference: K. Brünnich-Nielsen. 1943. The Asteroids of the Senonian and Danian deposits of Danmark. Biologiske skrifter fra det Danske Videnskabernes Selskab 2(5):1-68

Belongs to Metopaster according to M. Reich and P. Frenzel 2002

Sister taxa: Metopaster alexiae, Metopaster andreae, Metopaster angulatus, Metopaster bezanconi, Metopaster bignoti, Metopaster bromleyi, Metopaster calcar, Metopaster carinatus, Metopaster chilipora, Metopaster continuus, Metopaster dividuus, Metopaster downendensis, Metopaster duvergieri, Metopaster elegans, Metopaster elevatus, Metopaster elongatus, Metopaster hunteri, Metopaster hypertelicus, Metopaster icenicus, Metopaster kagstrupensis, Metopaster laevis, Metopaster lisanae, Metopaster loirensis, Metopaster maculatus, Metopaster medius, Metopaster meudonensis, Metopaster miloni, Metopaster montainvillensis, Metopaster parkinsoni, Metopaster polyplacus, Metopaster praetumidus, Metopaster rugissimus, Metopaster schulzi, Metopaster spencerii, Metopaster stratifera, Metopaster tamarae, Metopaster teilhardi, Metopaster tenneseensis, Metopaster tercensis, Metopaster thoracifer, Metopaster trichilae, Metopaster tumidus, Metopaster uncatus, Ravniaster granulatus

Type specimens:

• Metopaster poulsenii: Mineralogical Museum, Copenhagen, holotype MMH 4095
• Metopaster stevensensis:
• Ravniaster simplex:
• Ravniaster virgineus:

Ecology: epifaunal detritivore