Deep-sea (> 1000 m) Goniasteridae (Valvatida; Asteroidea) from the North Pacific, including an overview of Sibogaster, Bathyceramaster n. gen. and three new species
Author
Mah, Christopher L.
text
Zootaxa
2016
4175
2
101
141
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.4175.2.1
d7cbc23a-7a4c-4616-83fd-059fb458f7b6
1175-5326
257286
B264C215-000D-42C5-8AC9-B801872CD182
Ceramaster
Verrill, 1899
Verrill, 1899
: 161 [as
Tosia
(
Ceramaster
)
]
Fisher, 1906
: 1054; 1911: 162, 204;
Verrill, 1914
: 289;
Koehler, 1924
: 173;
Mortensen, 1927
: 80;
Djakonov, 1950
: 38;
Tortonese & A.M. Clark, 1956
: 347;
Halpern, 1970b
: 62; 1970c: 212; 1970: 62;
Downey, 1973
: 49;
McKnight, 1973
: 178;
Downey, 1973
: 49;
A.M. Clark & Courtman-Stock, 1976
: 61; Downey in
Clark & Downey, 1992
: 231;
A.M. Clark 1993
: 247;
H.E.S. Clark & McKnight 2001
: 32, Mah 2011: 5 (as
Ceramaster
)
Koehler, 1909
: 78 [type species
Pentagonaster
(
Philonaster
)
mortenseni
Koehler, 1909
] (as
Philonaster
)
Verrill, 1914
: 292 (As
Tosiaster
)
Comments.
Several issues surround the genus
Ceramaster
, including uncertainty regarding its monophyly and overlap with such genera as
Peltaster
(Mah 2011)
.
I argue that species described herein most closely resembles the type species,
C. grenadensis
and share several fundamental synapomorphies, including the presence of wide (W>L) inferomarginal plates, strongly abactinal facing superomarginal plates, and a flattened, pentagonal body shape (R/r<2.0). These characters serve to separate
C. clarki
,
C. grenadensis
,
C. japonicus
,
C. leptoceramus
,
C. smithi
and
C. pointsurae
n. sp.
from
Bathyceramaster
.
Descriptions of some
Ceramaster
sp., including
Ceramaster glasbyi
McKnight 1993
display a more stellate shape and lack fasciolar grooves. These will need to be considered more thoroughly pending an overview of the 16 species nominally assigned to
Ceramaster
.