Luidia alternata alternata ( Say, 1825 )

Cunha, Rosana, Tavares, Marcos & Jr, Joel Braga De Mendonça, 2020, Asteroidea (Echinodermata) from shallow-waters of the remote oceanic archipelago Trindade and Martin Vaz, southeastern Atlantic, with taxonomic and zoogeographical notes, Zootaxa 4742 (1), pp. 31-56 : 47

Luidia alternata alternata ( Say, 1825)

Figure 4F

Asterias alternata Say, 1825: 144–145 [type locality: Dry Tortugas, Florida Keys, Florida, viz. Clark & Downey, 1992].

Luidia alternata alternata – Hendler et al., 1995: 66-67, fig. 13; Pérez-Ruzafa et al. 1999: 45; Entrambasaguas, 2003: 68–71, fig. 1; Entrambasaguas, 2008: 41; Pawson et al., 2009: 1188; Alvarado & Solis-Marin, 2013: 607; Gondim et al., 2014: 7, figs. 3a–d.

Distribution. United States (North Carolina, Bahamas, Florida, Gulf of Mexico), Mexico, Cuba, Honduras, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Suriname, Brazil (Paraíba, Alagoas, Bahia, Trindade Island (present study), Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo), Uruguay, Argentina and Cape Verde ( Verrill, 1915; Brito 1962, 1968; Tommasi, 1970; Downey, 1973; Walenkamp, 1976; Clark & Downey, 1992; Hendler et al. 1995; Pérez-Ruzafa et al. 1999; Entrambasaguas, 2003; Magalhães et al. 2005; Ventura et al. 2007; Entrambasaguas, 2008; Pawson et al., 2009; Miranda et al. 2012; Alvarado & Solis-Marin, 2013; Gondim et al., 2014). Depth range: 1–200 m ( Clark & Downey, 1992).

Recognition characters. Five long arms, tapering distally. One prominent spine at center of some paxillae from abactinal region. One row of adambulacral curved spines. Three unequal subambulacral spines, arranged irregularly. Pedicellariae with four valves on actinal surface ( Clark & Downey, 1992; Hendler et al., 1995).

Color in life. The Trindade specimen ( Figure 4F ) mostly matches the color description given by Clark & Downey (1992): upper parts boldly patterned, with a “dark pentagon on the disc and 3–5 transverse dark bands, brown, black, greenish or purple on each arm, otherwise yellow, white, cream or pink”.

Habitats. Sandy mud and muddy bottoms near mangroves ( Clark & Downey, 1992). The specimen from Trindade Island was found on the top of a calcareous reef ( Figure 4F ).

Comments. This is the first record of L. alternata alternata from Trindade. One specimen was observed and photographed in situ in Trindade (Ponta da Calheta, 31.vii.2018, at a depth of about 15 m), but escaped after collection. However, its distinctive color pattern, number of arms, and more importantly, the presence of a prominent spine in the center of some paxillae of the abactinal region lead us to identify the Trindade specimen as L. alternata alternata .

Figures

FIGURE 4. A. Copidaster lymani A. H. Clark, 1948, Trindade Island, Enseada das Orelhas. B–D. Mithrodia clavigera (Lamarck, 1816). B, C. Trindade Island, Príncipe beach. D. Fernando de Noronha, tide pool at Boldró beach. Photograph by Gabriela C. Zeineddine. E. Oreaster reticulatus (Linnaeus, 1758), Trindade Island, Enseada dos Portugueses, Farol. F. Luidia alternata alternata (Say, 1825) Trindade Island, Ponta da Calheta.