ScienceAsia 30 (2004): 417-428 Echinoderm Fauna of Thailand: History and Inventory Reviews Sumaitt Putchakarn * and Pichai Sonchaeng Biodiversity research Unit, Institute of Marine Science, Burapha University, Bangsaen, Chonburi 20131, Thailand. * Corresponding author, E-mail: sumaitt@bims.buu.ac.th Received 28 May 2004 Accepted 30 Sep 2004 ABSTRACT: A comprehensive review of the literature on echinoderm recorded in Thai waters was carried out in order to obtain the correct number of species found in this area. From the study, it was found that the total numbers of species are 381: 39 crinoids, 69 asteroids, 112 ophiuroids, 67 echinoids and 94 holothurians. All species presented and their distributions are tabulated herein. There are 14 type species of echinoderms inhabiting in Thai waters and four of them are endemic. The Andaman Sea has a greater diversity of echinoderms than those in the Gulf of Thailand. Most echinoderm recorded are of shallow waters while deep- water ones are remained relatively unexplored. Further study on echinoderms of shallow water should be done in term of monographic works and marine scientists should be encouraged in order to speed up the study on other aspects of these animals as well. KEYWORDS: Echinoderms, biodiversity, Thailand, checklist. INTRODUCTION Echinoderms being common and conspicuous organisms of the seashore have attracted the attention of the naturalists since very early times. Hyman 1 saluted the echinoderms as a noble group especially designed to puzzle the zoologist. Exclusively marine, echinoderms are among the most common and widely spread groups of animals in the sea. 1 They are also among the most clearly defined of animal phyla. Members are characterized by the combination of basic pentamerous adult, a calcite skeleton and hydraulic tube feet or water vascular system. 2 Echinoderms include animals commonly known as feather star and sea lilies (Crinoidea); starfish or sea stars (Asteroidea); brittle and basket stars (Ophiuroidea); sea urchins, sand dollars and heart urchins (Echinoidea); and sea cucumbers (Holothuroidea). They play an important rule in marine ecosystems and some are economic marine animals. 1, 2,3 Thailand, located in the South China Sea region and also in the Andaman Sea, plays an important role as the center of distribution of marine organisms and it may contain a very high number of species. The total coastline of Thailand is almost 2,600 kilometers, with over 300 islands. The coastlines consist of those areas along the Gulf of Thailand (Pacific Ocean) and the Andaman Sea (Indian Ocean) as well. However, many marine invertebrate fauna of Thailand are not comprehensively studied including echinoderms, and the major expeditions have merely touched the fringes. It is the great opportunity for Thailand, when the Danish government and the Carlberg foundation had supported the first Thai-Danish cooperation namely “The Danish Expedition to Siam 1899-1900”. More than sixty Thai echinoderm species, including twelve new species were obtained. 4,5,6 The following expedition was the Fifth Thai-Danish Marine Biology Expedition which had been carried out in Andaman Sea in 1969. In addition, The Danish Agency for Development Assistance (DANIDA) was the sponsor of the first training course and workshop on echinoderms in 1987, which contributed the great knowledge of echinoderms in Thailand. 7 Over the century from the first expedition, we have still not reviewed and made the inventory of echinoderms in Thailand. This paper presents the history and comprehensive review of the literature on echinoderm recorded in Thai waters and further studies on this group of animals are still needed. MATERIALS AND METHODS Literature on echinoderms recorded in Thailand were collected and then the checklist of this group of animals was tabulated group by group. The confusion on scientific names had been updated taxonomically by following Rowe and Gates 2 and Lane, et al. 8 Some unpublished data also included field survey; observation/collection by the authors. The data on type species; their localities and endemic species based