Elpidiidae.

Théel, 1879

11 genera, 4 monotypic; 80 species

Body short, oval, sometimes globular. Tentacles usually 10. Dorsal papillae few, not equally distributed along the radii, their calcareous deposits not longitudinally directed. Few, but fairly large tube feet in the latero-ventral ambulacra, the midventral ambulacrum naked. Calcareous deposits pointed rods or cruciform bodies; more rarely wheels occur, but scarce in number. Calcareous ring composed only of 5 radials, which are star shaped not coalesced. Statocysts are present. Gonads one or more bundles of small caecal sacs. Mesentery consisting only of isolated threads, entirely lacking along the second loop of intestine; a caecum may be present on the rectum. (Mortensen, 1927; Ekman, 1925)

Tentacles 10-12. Ventro-lateral tube feet large, well spaced, and usually few. Mid-ventral tube feet absent. Calcareous ring consisting of 5 star shaped pieces. (Hansen, 1975)