Freyastera benthophila ( Sladen, 1889 )

Madeira, Patrícia, Kroh, Andreas, Cordeiro, Ricardo, De, António M., Martins, Frias & Ávila, Sérgio P., 2019, The Echinoderm Fauna of the Azores (NE Atlantic Ocean), Zootaxa 4639 (1), pp. 1-231 : 168

Erroneous— Freyastera benthophila ( Sladen, 1889)

Reports for the Azores:

Freyella benthophila Sladen, 1889 — Cherbonnier & Sibuet 1972: 388.

Type locality: Pacific Ocean.

See: Sladen (1889: 641–643, pl. 111, figs. 5–8); Downey (1986: 36–38, fig. 18); A.M. Clark & Downey (1992: 480, figs. 74a–b, pl. 112, figs. C–D).

Occurrence: cosmopolitan deep-sea, in the Atlantic reported only to the east side, from the Bay of Biscay westwards to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and to southern African waters ( Cherbonnier & Sibuet 1972, Sibuet 1972, Downey 1986).

Depth: 4,163 –5,000 m ( Sibuet 1975, Downey 1986).

Habitat: soft substrates (red clay; Sladen 1889).

Remarks: Freyastera benthophila ( Sladen, 1889) was reported in the Azores by Cherbonnier & Sibuet (1972), based on the material collected by Albatross during the Swedish Deep Sea Expedition. However, the original record mentioned a station half way between continental Europe and the Azores, as was referred by Downey (1986) and A.M. Clark & Downey (1992). Though it is likely that this cosmopolitan deep-water species will prove to occur within the Azorean EEZ, it needs to be confirmed by actual records.