A systematic revision of the asterinid genus Aquilonastra O Loughlin, 2004 (Echinodermata: Asteroidea)
Author
O, P. Mark
text
Memoirs of Museum Victoria
2006
63
2
257
287
journal article
1447-2554
Aquilonastra colemani
sp. nov.
Figures 1
,
2i–j
,
5e
,
7f
Material examined
.
Holotype
. SE
Papua New Guinea
,
China
Straits
,
Samarai I.
, on rubble,
150°48'E
,
9°40'S
,
10 m
,
J. Starmer
,
6 Jun 1998
,
UF 3284
(dry).
Paratypes
. Type locality and date,
UF 2419
(8, dry)
.
Other material.
Indonesia
, Flores Sea,
West Sumbawa Regency
,
Mayo I.
, underside of coral rubble, shallow sublittoral,
14 Nov 2005
,
NMV
F112173
(1)
; F109374 (4).
Diagnosis
. Fissiparous
Aquilonastra
species
; up to 7 rays, predominantly 6, narrow base, rounded distally, subdigitiform; up to R =
5 mm
, r =
3 mm
; high elevation apically, sides of rays steep; up to 2 inconspicuous interradial madreporites seen, up to 3 anal pores; gonopores not evident.
At R =
5 mm
, upper ray plates irregular in size and form, longitudinal series of large papulae along sides of rays, single papula per plate; secondary plates present; spinelets thick short conical to columnar, spinous surface, not splay-pointed, up to about 12 spinelets on free surface of proximal abactinal plates; superomarginal and inferomarginal plates subequal; superomarginal plates each with up to about 8 spinelets, inferomarginal plates each with up to about 12 spinelets.
Spines per actinal plate up to: oral 6, suboral 3, furrow 5, subambulacral 3, actinal interradial 2; interradial spines glassy, rugose, bluntly pointed conical to digitiform.
Colour (live)
.
Abactinally very dark brown on disc and upper rays, white margin (photos from
N. Coleman
,
S. Uthicke
).
Distribution
. SE
Papua New Guinea
,
China
Straits;
Indonesia
, Flores Sea,
Mayo I.
;
0–10 m
.
Etymology
. Named for Neville Coleman, with gratitude for his generous assistance in making available to us his many live colour slides of Indo-Pacific asterinids.
Remarks
. The distingusihing features of
A. colemani
are the small size (up to R =
5 mm
), fissiparous habit, and dark brown with white margin colouration