Question

Which of the following is the biological name of starfish?
A. Tusk shells
B. Asterias
C. Anguilliformes
D. Clypeaster

Answer 1

Hint: The biological name refers to the proper systematic scientific name given to an organism so that it can be easily identified anywhere in the world. The scientific name allows one species to be differentiated from others. The biological name consists of two words, one for genera and the other for species.

Complete answer: Starfishes are star-shaped eukaryotic marine animals having succulent tube feet that help them to move on sea bottoms by hydraulic pressure. They belong to the family Asteriidae and class Asteroidea. They are named so because of their star-shaped body. The body consists of a central disc attached to at least five arms. They are of various colors and are found crawling at the bottom of the seas.
Let us understand each of the given biological names to know which of them belongs to starfish.
-Tusk shells as their name suggests are tusk-shaped marine mollusks. In technical terms, they are called scaphopods. These are shelled animals. The shells range from glassy colored shells to hard dull and rough shells.
-Asterias is a genus of star-like organisms including the common starfish. They are also referred to as species of sea stars. The star-like body of Asterias can be rough or smooth having a central disc and several arms attached to it.
-Anguilliformes include ray-finned fish species like an eel. These are elongated fish species having slender bodies.
-Clypeaster is a genus of echinoderm. It consists of sea-biscuit or cake urchins. They are bilaterally symmetrical having irregular shapes.
Thus, the biological name for starfish is Asterias. So, the right answer is option B.

Note: The biological names usually hold the meaning of the types of species it includes. Like the biological name of starfishes is Asterias means star-shaped and starfish are star-shaped organisms. The branch of science that deals with the naming of organisms is called Taxonomy. Nomenclature is the basic term that is used to describe the naming of organisms.