Luidia clathrata ( Say, 1825 )

Cunha, Rosana, Martins, Luciana, Menegola, Carla & Souto, Camilla, 2021, Taxonomy of the sea stars (Echinodermata: Asteroidea) from Bahia State, including ontogenetic variation and an illustrated key to the Brazilian species, Zootaxa 4955 (1), pp. 1-78 : 21-22

Luidia clathrata ( Say, 1825)

Figures 9–10

Asterias clathrata Say, 1825: 142 .

Luidia clathrata — Tommasi 1958: 9, fig. 1, pl. 2; Brito 1962: 4; 1968: 11–12, fig. 2, pl. 2; Tommasi & Aron 1987: 3; Tommasi et al. 1988: 6; Clark & Downey 1992: 13, figs. 4d, 5e–g, 6g, i, 8g, pl. 4B; Magalhães et al. 2005: 63; Ventura et al. 2007: 237; Manso et al. 2008: 185, fig. 7a–e; Lima & Fernandes 2009: 58; Magris & Deìstro 2010: 59; Xavier 2010: 75; Benavides-Serrato et al. 2011: 99–100; Gondim et al. 2014: 10–11 , figs. 3e–h; Sandino et al. 2017: S294; Bueno et al. 2018: 178–179, fig. 8; Gurjão & Lotufo 2018: 11; Miranda 2018: 14, fig. 10C; Patrizzi & Dobrovolski 2018: 182; Borrero-Peìrez et al. 2019: 4; Torres & Torres 2019: 413.

Material examined (1 spec, 57 mm R). BRAZIL. Bahia, Todos os Santos Bay (13°10’S; 38°45’W)— 15 m, 15.iii.1997, 1 spec, R 57 mm ( UFBA 330 ) .

Comparative material. U.S.A., North Carolina, Cape Hatteras , 26 m, 19.x.1884, 1 spec, R 70 mm ( NMNH 8507 , neotype) .

Description (R 57 mm). Flat disc ( Fig. 9A ); R/r 5.2. Five tapering arms. Abactinal plates covered by paxillae ( Fig. 10A ) with robust granules (3–7) in center and a fringe of small peripheral spinelets. Paxillae of disc and arms smaller, irregularly arranged ( Fig. 10F ). Paxillae from periphery of arms in five regular rows, square to rectangular in abactinal view ( Fig. 10D ); paxillae from three outer rows equal to or larger than those from inner rows. Madreporite often with irregular outline and hidden by paxillae ( Fig. 10H ). Superomarginal plates paxilliform. Inferomarginal plates elongated and separated by a gap. Marginal region of plates with two unequal, denticulate spines ( Fig. 10B ); around these, several small spines. Actinal surface of plate densely covered by flat spines, large in central region and minute in marginal region ( Fig. 10G ). Four adambulacral spines. Two curved spines, innermost spine smallest; two flattened, truncated spines of same size, side by side above ( Fig. 10C, E ). Oral plate with long spines, apical ones larger ( Fig. 10I ). Tube feet in two rows, sucking disc lacking. Pedicellariae absent.

Coloration. No record of coloration of in vivo specimens from this region. In ethanol, specimens are pale beige to white. Specimens from the Gulf of Mexico have a noticeable grey band on the dorsal surface of the inferomarginal plates, above the fringe spines that is retained for years even in alcohol (Janessa Fletcher, pers. comm. on 4 Dec 20, “Picture Guide to the SEAMAP specimens of the Eastern Gulf of Mexico ”, unpublished). The dry specimen in Hopkins & Knott (2010) has greyish upper arm surface, white ocular tips, white inferomarginal spines and off-white actinal surface. Frequently shows darker grey dorsal central arm stripe, but it is not encountered in the neotype.

Distribution. U.S.A. (NC, FL), Bermuda, Gulf of Mexico, Mexico, The The Bahamas, Caribbean Sea, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana ( Sandino et al. 2017; Borrero-Peìrez et al. 2019; Mah 2020a). BRAZIL: Amapá, Pará, Paraíba, Bahia, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina ( Rathbun 1879; Bernasconi 1943; Tommasi 1958, 1970; Brito 1960, 1968; Downey 1973; Walenkamp 1976; 1979; Clark & Downey 1992; Hendler et al. 1995; Benavides-Serrato et al. 2005; Mag- alhães et al. 2005; Alvarado et al. 2008; Manso et al. 2008; Lima & Fernandes 2009; Xavier 2010; Gondim et al. 2014; Bueno et al. 2018; Miranda 2018; Torres & Torres 2019). Depth. 0–175 m ( Clark & Downey 1992).

Biological notes. The specimen described here was found on a silty soft bottom environment, just outside Todos os Santos Bay; additional specimens have been found in sandy and muddy sediments inside of the Bay. Hendler et al. (1995) also reported L. clathrata ’s preference for protected environments with fine sediments, sometimes in estuarine conditions. This species has a generalized diet, feeding on foraminifera and small to medium-sized invertebrates, including polychaetes, crustaceans and ophiuroids ( Lawrence et al. 1974; Pechaszadeh & Lera 1983; Tararam et al. 1993), but Schwartz & Porter (1977) reported a strong preference for scallops in North Carolina. Caribbean populations of L. clathrata have seasonal reproduction ( Lawrence 1973; Dehn 1980a, b; Watt & Lawrence 1990; Pomory & Lares 2000).

Luidia clathrata is classified as “Least Concern” by the Ministry of the Environment ( MMA 2018). According to Gurjão & Lotufo (2018), its harvesting in Brazil is currently prohibited.

Neotype. NMNH 8507, designated by Hopkins & Knott (2010) because the holotype has never been found.

Type locality. Cape Hatteras, NC, U.S.A.

Remarks. The specimen described differs from the neotype by having two inferomarginal spines (vs. 3) and 3–7 granules in central region of paxillae (vs. 7–11). Walenkamp (1976) reported that ontogenetic changes in this species include an increase in the number of large lateral spines (1–2 in smaller specimens; 3 in adults), and the drawing of L. clathara ’s paxilla in Clark & Downey (1992, fig. 6g) indicates that larger specimens have more than 10 central granules (not quantified, but described as being numerous). Also, the specimens analyzed by Gondim et al. (2014), measuring 26–42 mm R (R/r 6.32–6.48), have two inferomarginal spines and 1–6 granules. Adults of L. clathara may reach 160 mm of R and the average R/r for adults is between 7–8. According to H.L. Clark (1933), adult specimens have R 100 mm or more.

Figures

FIGURE 9. Specimen (R 57 mm) of Luidia clathrata (Say, 1825) (UFBA 330): (A) abactinal and (B) actinal view of body; (C) cross section of the arm. Scale bars: A–B, 10 mm; C, 2 mm.

FIGURE 10. Specimen (R 57 mm) of Luidia clathrata (Say, 1825) (UFBA 330): (A) abactinal paxillae; (B) inferomarginal spines; (C) ambulacral furrow; (D) paxillae of the external region of the arm; (E) furrow spines; (F) interradial paxillae; (G) actinal spines; (H) madreporite partially hidden by paxillae; (I) oral region. Scale bars: A, 10 mm; B, D, F, H, 1 mm; C, G, I, 2 mm; E, 0.5 mm.