Taxonomy and distribution of irregular echinoids (Echinoidea: Irregularia) from Sri Lanka
Author
Arachchige, Gayashan M.
Author
Jayakody, Sevvandi
Author
Mooi, Rich
Author
Kroh, Andreas
text
Zootaxa
2019
2019-01-03
4541
1
1
100
journal article
27715
10.11646/zootaxa.4541.1.1
9c3fecf1-4e11-4c79-a908-e0a5abbaf3ca
1175-5326
2617460
B11E734C-218B-418C-84E6-719AB3C58AFF
Jacksonaster
sp. 1
Figures 36–38
,
40A
Material studied.
Seven denuded tests: WUSL/EI/23, EI/26, EI/27, EI/140, EI/141, and EI/142 from Thennadi Bay, and WUSL/EI/27 from Chaddy Beach, Jaffna,
Sri Lanka
.
Description.
Shape and size
—Test pentagonal, posterior end gently indented; medium-sized, 30.0–
47.2 mm
TL, slightly longer than broad, width 88–93% TL, larger specimens more elongate than smaller specimens; greatest width at end of anterior paired petals; height 15–17% of TL; oral side flat; edge thin, 7–10% TL, posterior edge slightly thinner than anterior edge.
FIGURE 36.
Jacksonaster
sp. 1 (WUSL/EI/23): A, aboral view; B, oral view; C, lateral view.
FIGURE 37.
Jacksonaster
sp. 1 (WUSL/EI/26), oral and aboral tuberculation: A, aboral side; B, oral side.
Apical system
—Subcentral, approximately 52% TL from anterior margin of test; with five circular gonopores; hydropores in sinuous groove.
Ambulacra
—Petaloid area large, 67–71% TL, slightly elevated; petals narrow, slightly open distally; pore series straight; pores elongate anisopores; outer pores of pore pairs greatly elongated transversely relative to inner pores; pores conjugate, but connecting furrows shallow; petal III slightly longer than others, approximately 35% TL (SD=2); anterior paired petals shortest, approximately 31% TL (SD=1); posterior paired petals slightly shorter than petal III, approximately 33% TL (SD=2); all petal widths similar, approximately 12% TL; width of poriferous zone IIIa 75–89% of interporiferous zone width at 2/3 of the petal length; food grooves simple, unbranched, lying along each oral perradius, up to 62–70% of corresponding test radius in ambulacrum III.
Interambulacra
—Oral interambulacra narrow, forming straight bands separating broad ambulacra.
Tuberculation
—Primary tubercles small and densely distributed among numerous miliary tubercles on aboral side; on oral surface, primary tubercles larger and sparse relative to those on aboral surface; primary tubercles of oral interambulacra close to peristome slightly larger than those of oral ambulacra; smallest primary tubercles near food grooves.
Peristome
—Small, length 6–8% TL, rounded to pentagonal, width 5–8% TL; situated slightly anterior of centre, 45–48% TL from anterior margin of test.
Periproct
—Small, length 5% TL, transversely elongate to rounded, width 6–7% TL; lying 11–12% TL from posterior margin of test.
Observed occurrence in
Sri Lanka
.
Specimens
were collected on the beach at
Chaddy Beach
,
Jaffna
, northern coast and
Thennadi Bay
, eastern coast of Sri Lanka. This species was also observed in
Mount Lavinia
(at
30 m
) and Negombo 1 (at
27 m
), western coast and at Mulathiv (at
10 m
), northern coast of Sri Lanka (
Fig. 38
).
Remarks.
Considering the characters pointed out by
Mortensen (1948b)
, these specimens best match
Jacksonaster depressum tenue
(Mortensen, 1948)
. The latter subspecies has a thinner test and margin, and narrower petals with straighter pore series than usually found in
J. depressum
from other parts of its range.
Jacksonaster
sp. 1 can be distinguished from
Jacksonaster
sp. 2 by having a much thinner test, thinner test margin, and slightly open petals with straight pore series. In addition,
Jacksonaster
sp. 1 has narrower poriferous zones than
Jacksonaster
sp. 2, being approximately 81% of the width of the interporiferous zone in the former and 116% in the latter (
Fig. 40A
).