Stelletta aurora var. arenosa Hentschel, 1909

(Fig. 6L)

Stelletta aurora var. arenosa Hentschel, 1909: 362, fig. 7.

Aurora aurora var. arenosa; Dendy 1916: 250, footnote.

The variety was described by Hentschel from Champion’s Bay off Geraldton, West Australia, approximate coordinates 28.7716°S 114.6017°E, depth 0–1 m (syntype ZMB 4261). The typical variety, also described by Hentschel (1909: 361, figs. 5–6, from the same locality and depth as the present variety, holotype ZMB 4260), differs in having a less sand-encrusted surface, and shorter plagiotriaenes with longer cladi. Other features including the structural oxeas and a complement of large sterrospherasters and small spherasters are closely similar between the two varieties. The differences appear minor as shape, rhabd length and cladi length are subject to intraspecific variability in many Ancorinidae . As they occurred in the same locality it is likely the two belong to the same species and I propose to merge the varieties under the name Rhabdastrella aurora (Hentschel, 1909) as the possession of sterrospherasters identifies the specimens as members of that genus. Aurora Sollas, 1888 is preoccupied ( Lepidoptera) and replaced by Rhabdastrella Thiele, 1903 (cf. Uriz 2002: 114).