Valettaster argus ( Spencer, 1907 )

Gale, Andrew Scott, 2021, Taxonomy and phylogeny of the ‘ football stars’ (Asteroidea, Sphaerasteridae), Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 19 (10), pp. 691-741 : 733

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.1080/14772019.2021.1960911

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:F8991F09-B5FB-40EF-B4CC-474D925085B8

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10955123

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/B9207C41-9A5D-FFD0-0E13-FF31FE8EFA07

treatment provided by

Felipe

scientific name

Valettaster argus ( Spencer, 1907 )
status

 

Valettaster argus ( Spencer, 1907) View in CoL

( Figs 6H–K, N, O View Figure 6 , 7P, R View Figure 7 , 8K, M View Figure 8 , 22L View Figure 22 , 23B–P View Figure 23 )

1850 fragment of an Oreaster Forbes in Dixon: pl. 21, fig. 16.

$1907 Stauranderaster argus Spencer : 99, pl. 29, fig. 8.

1913 Tholaster argus (Spencer) ; Spencer: 138, pl 13, fig. 25.

1914 Valettaster ocellatus (Forbes) ; Valette: 60, fig. 20.

1985 Valettaster argus (Spencer) ; Breton: 91, fig. 6.

Type. An individual (not figured) from the Marsupites Zone of Brighton, southern England ( NHMUK E 5109 About NHMUK ) is the holotype .

Diagnosis. Valettaster in which the abactinal ossicles possess small external faces and bear a reticulate sculpture.

Material. A well-preserved specimen from the coranguinum Zone of Micheldever, Hampshire ( NHMUK E 20294) and a partly articulated specimen from the same zone at Thanet, Kent, provide many details of the ossicles and nature of the abactinal surface ( NHMUK EE 17637).

Occurrence. Valettaster argus is present in the Turonian to Campanian Chalk of the United Kingdom.

Remarks. The new material provides information on the nature of the exterior surface of this species ( Fig. 23H–K View Figure 23 ). The spaces between the large abactinal ossicles are packed with smaller, secondary ossicles of various sizes ( Fig. 23H View Figure 23 ), creating a smooth surface made up of the exposed summits of the larger ossicles and the smaller plates ( Fig. 23 I, J View Figure 23 ). There are spaces between the smaller ossicles, which might represent papular pores ( Fig. 23J View Figure 23 ), or where secondary ossicles have fallen out. It is important to point out that the reconstruction of Breton (1985, fig. 4), which shows the surface of the asteroid with a thick dermis, containing numerous small ossicles, is incorrect.

NHMUK

Natural History Museum, London

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