Acodontaster hodgsoni ( Bell, 1908 )

Mah, Christopher L., 2023, New Genera, Species, and observations on the biology of Antarctic Valvatida (Asteroidea), Zootaxa 5310 (1), pp. 1-88 : 40

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5310.1.1

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:C6664128-1B4E-40C8-80E8-6D09AB49CB30

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8090166

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03C387E8-6616-FFC4-FF68-E58E8774F84D

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Acodontaster hodgsoni ( Bell, 1908 )
status

 

Acodontaster hodgsoni ( Bell, 1908) View in CoL View at ENA

FIGURE 12A – G View FIGURE 12

Heuresaster hodgsoni, Bell, 1908: 8 View in CoL .

Acodontaster hodgsoni, Fisher 1940: 115 View in CoL ; A.M. Clark 1962: 20; H.E.S. Clark 1963: 38.

Diagnosis

Body stellate, R/r=2.3–3.3, Arms triangular in cross-section, but also in outline, overall shape elongate, arm tips acutely tapering. Interradial arcs acute ( Fig. 12A, C View FIGURE 12 ). Disk edge distinct, rounded and compressed. Abactinal plates flattened to weakly convex. Surface covered by granules, flattened, quadrate to polygonal, distinctly angular in shape ( Fig. 12D, G View FIGURE 12 ). Granular cover is continuous and obscures boundaries between adjacent plates. Pedicellariae absent from abactinal surface. Marginal plates forming lateral edge, covered by granules identical, if slightly larger than those on abactinal surface, some with small tubercles ( Fig. 12B View FIGURE 12 ). Actinal surface in chevron-like arrangement, but distal plates adjacent to the inferomarginal series obscured by continuous cover of granules ( Fig. 12E View FIGURE 12 ), identical to similar with those on abactinal and marginal plate surface. Proximally, especially around the mouth, plates covered by numerous, small spines, 5–10 centrally, 15 around the edge. Most central spines conical, pointed, widely spaced. Spine height variable with tallest spines 2–3× the height of others. Simple fasciculate pedicellariae present on adambulacral plates adjacent to the mouth, but otherwise no pedicellariae on actinal surface. Furrow spines 2–5, subambulacral spines 2–3. Furrow and subambulacral spines elongate, thickened, remaining subambulacral spines, 3–6, short, approximately 25% of subambulacral spine height, some forming fasciculate pedicellariae. Oral plates each with a single, stout distal-pointing hyaline spine with two shorter, flanking spines ( Fig. 12F View FIGURE 12 ), furrow spines 7–8, suboral spines 7 to 8 ( Fig. 12G View FIGURE 12 ).

Color in life orange to white.

Comments

A single specimen of this species from 2350 m was examined. A.M. Clark (1962) reported a depth occurrence between 4 to 457 m [540 m for A. hodgsoni stellatus ( Koehler, 1920) ], making this an exceptional occurrence. Unfortunately, only a single specimen was recovered. It is hoped that further specimens will close the large disparity in depth for although plausible, the discontinuity between the known and this new occurrence requires additional verification.

Occurrence

Enderby Land eastwards to the Ross Sea and from South Georgia to Queen Mary Land. 4–457m (540 m). New Depth Occurrence: 2350 m.

Material Examined

USNM 1082873, Southern Ocean, Antarctica, −74.1, −175.025, 2350 m. Coll. R/V Eltanin, 8 Feb. 1968. 1 dry spec. R=7.7 r=2.3.

USNM

Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Echinodermata

Class

Asteroidea

Order

Valvatida

Family

Odontasteridae

Genus

Acodontaster

Loc

Acodontaster hodgsoni ( Bell, 1908 )

Mah, Christopher L. 2023
2023
Loc

Acodontaster hodgsoni

Clark, H. E. S. 1963: 38
Clark, A. M. 1962: 20
Fisher, W. K. 1940: 115
1940
Loc

Heuresaster hodgsoni

Bell, F. J. 1908: 8
1908
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