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on several sponge taxa in the Pacific by NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer in the Pacific during the CAPSTONE campaign (Mah, unpublished data).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