Bathyceramaster Mah 2016a

Mah, Christopher L., 2022, New Genera, Species and Occurrences of Deep-Sea Asteroidea (Valvatacea, Forcipulatacea, Echinodermata) collected from the North Pacific Ocean by the CAPSTONE Expedition, Zootaxa 5164 (1), pp. 1-75 : 31

Bathyceramaster Mah 2016a

Mah 2016a: 105

Diagnosis. Abactinal plates tabulate, low to moderate in height with fasciolar grooves, variably shallow to well-developed, plates lacking stellate bases. Abactinal, marginal, actinal surfaces covered by densely arranged polygonal to round granules. Body stellate, many species with well-developed arms (R/ r=1.8–4.0).

Comments. This genus was created to accommodate Mediaster elegans Ludwig 1905 , which lacked the stellate, radiating ossicles that are present in all species belonging to the genus Mediaster (Fisher 1911; Mah 2016a). The tabular plates and well developed fasciolar grooves were also not as well-developed in Bathyceramaster as they are in Mediaster . Known Bathyceramaster spp. have only been reported from relatively deep-water settings, below 600 m, primarily between 1000–4000 m.

Based on the occurrence of known species, Bathyceramaster occurs widely throughout the Pacific in a manner similar to other deep-sea Goniasteridae , such as Sibogaster ( Mah 2016a) .