Luidia yesoensis Goto, 1914

Liu, Wei, Liao, Yulin & Li, Xinzheng, 2006, Luidia changi, a new sea star species (Echinodermata: Asteroidea: Luidiidae) from the Yellow Sea, with a review of two related species, Zootaxa 1315, pp. 57-68 : 61-62

Luidia yesoensis Goto, 1914

( Figs. 1 , 3 , 5 C, D, 6B, E)

Luidia yesoensis Goto, 1914: 306 , Pl. V Figs. 89–90, Pl. VI Figs. 91–94; Uchida, 1928: 788; Hayashi, 1938: 114; Chang, 1948: 37, Pl. I figs. 3–4, Pl. II figs. 3–5; Chang, 1964: 55; Hayashi, 1973: 43.

Material examined: 3 ex., CN 116­6, [40°N, 121.3°E], sand, 26m, coll. Tang, 30 Oct.1958; 2 ex., CN 129­4, [40.19°N, 121.81°E], sandy mud, 18m, coll. Lin, 1 Nov.1958; 15 ex., CN 136­14, [39.13°N, 121.39°E], soft mud, 12m, coll. Lin, 2 Nov.1958; 1 ex., CN 51­3, [39.23°N, 121.12°E], 31 Jan.1959; 7 ex., CN y208B­2, [40.35°N, 120.82°E], sandy mud, 23.5m, 28 Apr.1959; 1 ex., CN y2070­13, [40.53°N, 120.99°E], sandy mud, 22m, coll. Huang, 28 Apr.1959; 2 ex., CN y209B­15, [40.1°N, 121.15°E], sandy mud, 27m, coll. Chen, 29 Apr.1959; 4 ex., CN y210B­24, [40.03°N, 120.57°E], 29 Apr.1959; 1 ex., CN y232B­5, [39.06°N, 119.63°E], soft mud, 24m, coll. Chen, 1 May1959; 1 ex., CN y237B­8, [38.78°N, 120.12°E], coll. Huang, 2 May1959; 1 ex., CN 59­1077, [38.05°N, 120.08°E], 4 May1959; 2 ex., CN H121B­1, [37.92°N, 120.98°E], 19m, 17 Jul.1959; 8 ex., CN H230B­20, [40.31°N, 121.65°E], soft mud, 16.5m, coll. Jiang, 18 Jul.1959; 1 ex., CN H221B­17, [39.3°N, 121.33°E], 18 Jul.1959; 4 ex., CN H224B­3, [39.73°N, 121.27°E], 18 Jul.1959; 4 ex., CN y235B­8, [39.18°N, 120.61°E], soft mud, 26m, 2 Aug.1959; 5 ex., CN 61­8, [38.25°N, 121.02°E], sand, 29m, coll. Tang, 23 Oct.1958; 6 ex., CN H316B­ 1, [39.05°N, 121.23°E], sandy mud, 14.8m, coll. Huang, 26 Oct.1959; 1 ex., CN H323B­ 20, [40.88°N, 121.48°E], sand, 24.8m, coll. Jiang, 26 Oct.1959; 15 ex., CN H319B­10, [39.23°N, 121.12°E], sandy mud, 22.7m, coll. Jiang, 26 Oct.1959; 4 ex., CN H336B­9, [40.03°N, 120.33°E], soft mud, 20.8m, coll. Jiang, 31 Oct.1959; 2 ex., CN G105B­22, [39.58°N, 119.48°E], mud, 40m, AT, coll. Lin & Zhang, 12 Aug.1960.

Diagnosis: 5 ranys, R:r =4.11–5.89. Abactinal surface uniformly dark grey or black, without radiating bands. Abactinal paxillae are relatively small, closely set. Inferomarginal plates each with large, squamiform spine; on surface of the inferomarginal plates are usually one or two rows of squamiform spines; along the margin is a series of very small spinelets. Adambulacral armature consists of 3 spines and usually a long, slender twojawed pedicellaria. At oral end of mouth plates are 1 or 2 pairs of stout two­jawed pedicellariae, projecting into the mouth. Between adambulacrals and inferomarginals a series of ventrolateral plates extends to the tip of arms, each plate usually with a series of pointed spines and often with a smaller pedicellaria similar to those of adambulacral plates.

Distribution: Bohai Gulf in China ( Fig. 1 ), also from Hokkaido to Asamushi and Toyama Bay in Japan. Depth 10– 40 m.

Remarks: Examination of specimens revealed considerable intraspecies diversity. Goto (1914) noted that no forficiform pedicellaria had been found in the outer part of inferomarginals, but in our specimens smaller and thicker pedicellariae occur, not only near the inner end but also near the outer end. This species closely resembles to L.

quinaria , but differs in having shorter and rapidly tapering arms, R: r usually less than 5, in having small and more compact paxillae on dorsal surface and in lacking dark radiating bands on disk and arms ( Chang, 1948). After examination of the abactinal plates ( Fig. 5 C, D), we find that L. yesoensis lacks the small ossicles between the thicker imbricating plates that are common in L. quinaria . The abactinal spinelets ( Fig. 6 B, E) are similar to those of L. quinaria .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Collection localities of the three species, Luidia changi sp. nov., L. quinaria von Martens, 1865 and L. yesoensis Goto, 1914.

FIGURE 3. Luidia yesoensis Goto, 1914 (H 209 B­ 15, R = 59.6 mm). A, abactinal view; B, actinal view; C, arm, dorsal view; D, arm, ventral view. Scale = 5 mm.

FIGURE 5. Denuded abactinal plates, proximal base of ray. A – B, Luidia quinaria von Martens, 1865; C – D, Luidia yesoensis Goto, 1914; E – F, Luidia changi sp. nov. A, C, aboral view, paxillae with raised top (arrow); B, oral view, thick, with very small plates (arrow); D, oral view, thick, paxillae along the median radial line distinctly smaller (arrow); E, aboral view, paxillae with flat top, with very small lateral paxillae (arrow); F, oral view, thin, with very small plates (arrow). Scale = 2 mm.

FIGURE 6. Abactinal spinelets. A, D, Luidia quinaria von Martens, 1865; B, E, Luidia yesoensis Goto, 1914; C, F, Luidia changi sp. nov. A – C, central granules (arrow); D – F, peripheral spinelets (arrow). Scale = 100 m.