Synonymy of Pillsburiaster maini McKnight 1973

Reassignment of Tosia micropelta into Pillsburiaster, which had previously been assigned to Peltaster by Fisher (1911) and was overlooked by Halpern (1970). Comparison with the New Zealand Pillsburiaster maini McKnight 1973 indicates that it is a synonym of Pillsburiaster micropeltus (Fisher, 1906) . Pillsburiaster maini McKnight 1973 from the New Zealand region shares a nearly identical character set with Pillsburiaster micropeltus (Fisher 1906), including 5 to 6 furrow spines, two rows of cylindrical subambulacral spines, 26 superomarginals in P. micropeltus (R= 5.6 cm) versus 27–28 in P. maini (R=6.0 cm), identical numbers of coarse, round granules, and a nearly identical body shape with weakly stellate, distinct, triangular arms, a distinction where most Pillsburiaster species show primarily pentagonal body shape.

Synonymy of this species with Pillsburiaster micropeltus extends the range of this species from the Hawaiian Islands to the New Zealand region

Occurrence

Hawaiian Islands, 572–1593 m., and west coast of the North Island of New Zealand, 1996–2008 m.

Material Examined

Holotype Tosia micropelta USNM 21164, Nihoa Island, North Pacific Ocean, 572–1593 m. Coll. USFC Steamer Albatross, Hawaiian Explorations, 5 Aug 1902. 1 wet specimen. R=5.6 r= 2.9 cm .