Henricia antillarum ( Perrier 1881 )

Mah, Christopher L., 2020, New species, occurrence records and observations of predation by deep-sea Asteroidea (Echinodermata) from the North Atlantic by NOAA ship Okeanos Explorer, Zootaxa 4766 (2), pp. 201-260 : 241-243

Henricia antillarum ( Perrier 1881)

Figure 19 A–D

Comments

This species was initially recognized in the field based on its elongate, somewhat attenuated arms which are broadened basally as well as a relatively large actinal intermediate area with plates bearing small spinelets. Furrow spines were three to four.

Observed specimens were white differing from the “orange-yellow” color outlined by Clark and Downey (1992).

Feeding Observations

Henricia antillarum is a predator on sponges, having been observed twice feeding on two different sponge taxa, including a hexactinellid ( Fig. 19A ) and a cladorhizid or carnivorous sponge, which appears to be Chondrocladia sp. or a similar taxon ( Fig. 19B , USNM 1607572 Off Key West). Henricia spp. was widely observed as a predator on several sponge taxa in the Pacific by NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer in the Pacific during the CAPSTONE campaign (Mah, unpublished data).

Shallow-water Henricia sp., such as H. sanguinolenta have been documented as sponge predators (e.g. Sheild & Witman 1993). Robertson et al. (2017) reported that the deep-water Atlantic Henricia lisa is a predator on sponges.

Occurrence: Georgia, south to the Florida Strait, Yucatan Channel to northern Brazil. 275-1390 m.

Images Examined

Central Blake Plateau, 30.761523, -78.745073, 766 m

EX1907_IMG_20191106T172446Z_ROVHD.jpg

Material Examined: USNM 1607572 Key Largo Deep, North Atlantic. 24.7718, -80.1484, 601 m, Coll. NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer , Southeastern US Deep-Sea Exploration EX1907, 16 Nov 2019. 1 wet spec. R=8.8 r=1.2. EX1907_IMG_20191116T190746Z_ROVHD.jpg

Figures

FIGURE 19. Henricia antillarum A. Feeding observation on hexactinellid sponge, Central Blake Plateau, 766 m. B. Feeding observation on cladorhizid sponge, Key Largo Deep, 601 m. C. Abactinal view of USNM 1607572, collected feeding on cladorhizid. D. Actinal view.