Comatilia

Summers, Mindi M., Messing, Charles G. & Rouse, Greg W., 2017, The genera and species of Comatulidae (Comatulida: Crinoidea): taxonomic revisions and a molecular and morphological guide, Zootaxa 4268 (2), pp. 151-190 : 185

Comatilia AH Clark, 1909g

Table 1

Type species. Comatilia iridometriformis AH Clark, 1909g.

Diagnosis. Mouth central; ten arms only; centrodorsal circular, cirri in 1–2 rows; IBr2 series united by synarthry; first syzygy at 3+4 on undivided arms; distal intersyzygial interval 2; distalmost pinnule comb on P2; P3, Pb and Pc always, and P2, P4 and Pd usually, absent; comb teeth curved, triangular, confluent with outside edge of pinnule, comb not tapering significantly distally; terminal tooth discrete; saccules present; progeny released as pentacrinoid postlarvae.

Distribution. Known only from the southeastern United States (Florida to Georgia) and northwestern Bahama Islands in association with deep-water Lophelia coral mounds and elevated carbonate substrates, where it reaches densities of at least 65 m -2. Depth range: 256–686 m (AH Clark 1931; Messing 1984; Messing & Dearborn 1990; Messing et al. 1990).

Remarks. Comatilia iridometriformis differs from other comatulids in having a central mouth, distal intersyzygial interval of 2, and in lacking some proximal pinnules in sexually mature individuals. Its morphology appears to be the result of paedomorphosis, and it is the only member of Comatulidae known to brood its larvae ( Messing 1984).