Masanori Okanishi

I'm a research assistant professor at Misaki Marine Biological Station of the University of Tokyo. My subjects are taxonomy and phylogeny of marine invertebrate animals, especially focusing on brittle stars (Echinodermata). From 2007, I am fascinated by basket stars which is plant-like brittle star and my description of new species reaching to more than 10. I challenged crowd funding in 2014 and promoted DNA taxonomy of a basket star related species, Asteronyx loveni in Japan. As a result, I found a new species but existence of more potential new species have also been indicated in the abroad oceans.

July 2019