Patiriella oriens, O'Loughlin & Waters & Roy, 2003

O'Loughlin, P. M., Waters, J. M. & Roy, M. S., 2003, A molecular and morphological review of the asterinid, Patiriella gunnii (Gray) (Echinodermata: Asteroidea), Memoirs of Museum Victoria 60 (2), pp. 181-195 : 191-193

Patiriella oriens sp. nov.

Figures 1 (as ‘eastern’), 6a–f, 7e

Patiriella gunnii E.— Hart et al., 1997: 1848–1861, figs 1–4, tabs 1, 2.— Byrne et al., 1999: 188–194, figs 1, 3D, 6 (non Patiriella gunnii ( Gray, 1840)) .

Material examined. Holotype. Tasmania, Recherche Bay, Black Reef , 8 m, N. Barrett, 6 Jun 2002, NMV F92983 ( MOL 193 ).

Paratypes. Type locality and date, NMV F92984 (1 dry, 1 cleared) ( MOL 191 , 192 ) ; Bicheno, rocky coast, 5 m, N. Barrett, 1 Apr 2002, NMV F92982 (6) ( MOL 201–203 , 205 ) .

Other material (selected for molecular confirmation, distribution and depth data). Lord Howe I., AM J19339 (1). Qld. Rockhampton, Satellite I., 6 m, NMV F73165 (1). NSW. Byron Bay, Julian Rocks, 12 m, AM J14869 (1); Minnie Water, AM J12953 (26); Wooli, AM J15570 (6); Woolgoola, North Solitary I., 30 m, AM J14910 (4); Coffs Harbour, Solitary I., 9 m, AM J14942 (13); South Solitary I., 27 m, AM J14899 (1); Broughton I., near Port Stephens, 25 m, AM J12963 (3); Wyong, Nora Head, WAM Z9382 (1); Manly, Long Reef, SAM K1909 (18); Port Jackson, Camp Cove, AM J20059 (1); Swansea Channel, near Heads, 3 m, AM J21893 (4); Clovelly, NMV F93180 (9) ( MOL 215, 218, 219, 220); Little Bay, AM J4794 (5); Shellharbour, rock pools, AM J4419 (15); Jervis Bay, under rocks, 25 m, AM J15610 (1); Ulladulla, 24 m, AM J14179 (1); Batemans Bay, 12 km S, Pretty Point Bay, rocky shallows, NMV F71858 (1, cleared) ( MOL 184); Montague I., 27–30 m, AM J13972 (1); Merimbula, rocky, 9 m, AM J14651 (2); Eden, Twofold Bay, sublittoral platform, AM J19853 (2). Vic. Walkerville South, NMV F93448 (2); Western Port, McHaffie Point, NMV F93175 (1); Flinders, ocean platforms, 0–2 m, NMVF 92979 (1) ( MOL 175); NMV F92985 (2) ( MOL 2); NMV F92980 (1) ( MOL 5); NMV F92981 (2) ( MOL 116, 117); Port Phillip Bay, Portsea jetty; under rubble, 4–5 m, NMV F73200 (1); Torquay, Point Danger, rocky shallows, NMV F92976 (1, cleared) ( MOL 65); Port Fairy, Griffith I., rocky shallows, NMV F92978 (3) ( MOL 77, 78, 80); NMV F92977 (1, cleared) ( MOL 71); Portland, Nelson Bay, 24 m, NMV F93462 (4). Tas. Cape Tourville, rocky shallows, NMV F71870 (3); Maria I., 10 m, TM H1792 (1); Forestier Peninsula, 4–9 m, SAM K1911 (4); Eaglehawk Neck, TM H1109 (2); Hobart, Tinderbox, under rocks, 2 m, NMV F73993 (2); Port Davey, Sarah I., 3 m, TM H1789 (4); Bass Strait, Ringarooma Bay, TM H1114 (5); Tamar River, Low Head, TM H1352 (1); Circular Head, TM H1765 (34); King I., Narracoopa, NMV F93447 (1). SA. Encounter Bay, 2–4 m, SAM K1919 (1); Kangaroo I., Western River, 10–12 m, SAM K1915 (1); Spencer Gulf, Gambier Is, Wedge I., under stones, 1–1.5 m, AM J23763 (2); Nuyts Archipelago, 6 m, SAM K1937 (1). WA. Perth, Cottesloe, beach after storm, TM H2945 (1).

Description (dry and cleared specimens). Up to R = 39 mm; 4–8 rays, predominantly 6 (373 of 396 AM, SAM and TM specimens with 6 rays, 18 with 7 rays, 3 with 5 rays, 1 with 4 rays, 1 with 8 rays); form variable, from 6 short pointed to rounded rays with interradial margin incurved, to subhexagonal; body flat orally, flattened dome aborally, acute angle at margin; madreporite conspicuous; lacking pedicellariae; gonopores abactinal.

Abactinal surface even; papulate areas more extensive than non-papulate areas; secondary plates numerous, very irregular in size and form; proximal radial and interradial plates fairly openly imbricate; proximal papular spaces fairly large, frequently 3–5 secondary plates and 4–6 papulae in proximal papular spaces outside disc when R = 30 mm (2–4 secondary plates and 4–5 papulae when R = 20 mm); abactinal plates crescentic in papulate areas, carinally with double notch and proximal lobe; carinal series frequently regular from close to disc to end or near end of rays, doubly papulate for more than half up to three quarters ray length when R = 20 mm and larger; distal interradial non-papulate plates closely imbricate, domed, rounded proximally; disc variably distinct, bordering plates variably regular crescentic radial and smaller interradial plates, disc frequently obscured by irregular large plates within and distal to disc; abactinal plates granular, covered by glassy convexities, lacking spine-bearing ridge; abactinal spinelets slightly less than twice as long as wide, variable form, not widened distally, most frequently with swollen base and narrowing distally, sometimes columnar, sometimes with slight waist, rounded with small spines distally, typically up to 0.44 mm long when R = 30 mm (0.34 mm long when R = 20 mm), distributed evenly over projecting surface of plates; superomarginal plates aligned distally with inferomarginal plates; lacking internal superambulacral plates between ambulacrals and actinals; distal abactinal and actinal interradial plates with internal tapered vertical contiguous projections.

Projecting inferomarginal plates form margin, frequently 10–15 spinelets per plate when R = 20–30 mm; actinal plates in regular series, curving acutely from furrow to margin; some proximal actinal areas not calcified; actinal interradial spines generally fairly thick, digitate, moderately tall; actinal interradial proximal plates with 1–3 slightly tapered spines, predominantly 1, distally 3–4 short thick spines, columnar to slightly tapered, spinous distally; adradial row of actinal interradial proximal plates with predominantly 1–2 thick spines, minutely spinous distally, slightly shorter than subambulacral spines; adambulacral proximal plates with 1–3, predominantly 2, thick subambulacral spines, frequently unequal, form variable from digitate to spatulate to widening distally, minutely spinous distally, frequently slightly shorter than furrow spines; furrow spines slender, tapering, webbed, minutely spinous distally, 2–4 per plate proximally, frequently slightly longer than subambulacral spines; suboral spines very rare (9 of 273 AM speciems with at least 1 suboral spines, 1 with 7 spines, 1 with 9 spines, 1 with 11 spines); oral spines 4–6, predominantly 5.

Live colour. Abactinally very variable; frequently pale or light coloured; commonly dark coloured disc; some fairly uniform white or pink or mauve or orange or bright red, sometimes with dark red or brown or white flecks; some with rays, interradii or margin coloured differently; some finely mottled with brown, red, mauve, pink, orange, yellow, green, white ( NSW specimens sometimes with grey); actinally typically off-white with rare to sparse colour flecks.

Distribution. Lord Howe I.; Rockhampton (Qld) continuous to Nuyts Archipelago (western SA); Cottesloe, Perth (WA); Bass Strait; Tas.; under rocks; 0–30 m (molecular confirmation for Batemans Bay ( NSW) to Port Fairy (Vic.)).

Etymology. From oriens (Latin, as a noun in apposition) meaning “east”, and referring to the uniquely easterly distribution in Australia.

Remarks. Hart et al. (1997) and Byrne et al. (1999) found from molecular evidence that specimens of Patiriella ‘gunnii’ from eastern and western Australia had divergent lineages. The eastern material was collected from Clovelly, Sydney (M. Byrne, pers. comm.). Eastern Australian specimens are confirmed by molecular and morphological evidence and described here as Patiriella oriens sp. nov. Byrne (1991, 1992, 1995, 1996), Byrne and Anderson (1994), Byrne and Cerra (1996), Cerra and Byrne (2001), and Long and Byrne (2001) reported extensively on the reproductive and developmental biology of Patiriella ‘gunnii’. Since this research was based on material collected from Clovelly (M. Byrne, pers. comm.), the species was not P. gunnii but the new species P. oriens (used hereafter for P. ‘gunnii’ from Clovelly).

Byrne (1992) reported broadcast spawning during spring and summer and some habitat overlap for Clovelly populations of P. oriens (typically under subtidal boulders) and P. calcar (typically intertidal reef). Byrne and Anderson (1994) subsequently reported viable laboratory hybrids (high frequency of seven rays) of P. oriens (typically six rays) and P. calcar (typically eight rays). Field and museum specimens of P. oriens observed by Byrne and Anderson (1994), and material seen in this study, showed a low frequency of seven rays, suggesting variation of arm number (within the species) or hybridization or both. Relevant to this consideration is the fact that about 10% of specimens of P. occidens (above) have more than six arms across a distribution range where P. calcar is mostly absent. The spawning of P. oriens is earlier (spring and summer) than P. occidens (late summer, discussed above), a factor which may be significant in the maintenance of genetic identity in these similar species.

In this study a single specimen ( TM H2945) which was collected on a beach at Cottesloe (Perth) after a storm was identified as P. oriens . It is the only specimen in Australian museums, determined as P. oriens , which has been collected west of Nuyts Archipelago.

The combination of morphological characters which distinguishes P. oriens from other species of six-rayed Patiriella is: frequently subhexagonal form; carinal series of plates frequently doubly papulate for about two-thirds ray length; abactinal spinelets frequently columnar and moderately spinous distally, creating a fairly coarsely spinous surface appearance; normal absence of suboral spines; furrow spines frequently slightly longer than subambulacral spines; actinal spines continuous in declining height with subambulacral spines; actinal interradial spines digitate; up to about 15 spinelets per inferomarginal plate. The limited live colour data available for confirmed determinations indicates that white or pink or mauve or orange or bright red, with a dark centre, are frequently evident abactinally.

Figures

Figure 1. One of 1000+ optimal MP trees (863 steps) derived from analysis of CO1 sequence data. Numbers at nodes are bootstrap percentages based on 500 replicate analyses. MOL codes refer to specimens obtained for the current study. AM codes refer to Australian Museum specimens. Previously published sequences (Hart et al., 1997) are indicated in bold. Geographic origin of samples is indicated: Tasmania (T), Victoria (V), New South Wales (N), South Australia (S), Western Australia (W).