Kampylaster claireae n. sp.

FIGURE 7A–E

Etymology

The species epithet claireae is named for Claire E. Christian, Executive Director of the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition in honor of her efforts to protect the Antarctic and Southern Ocean environment.

Diagnosis

Distinguished by stellate body form (R/r=2.0–2.2), arms triangular (Fig. 7A). Granules on actinolateral edge of inferomarginal plates, bullet-like in shape (cylindrical with blunt tips) (Fig. 7C). At R=1.4, 4–6 abactinal granules counted along a 1.0 mm line. Actinal plates imbricate, tissue covered, with thorny spines, 1–3, widely spaced. Furrow spines, 2 or 3, arranged in transverse series (Fig. 7E).

Comments

One specimen in CASIZ 163128 had an unidentified crustacean molt in the process of being digested by the pyloric stomach. This suggests that this species is either a detritivore or possibly displays predatory habits.

Occurrence

South Shetland Islands and Ross Sea, 2672–3020, 2212–2306 m.

Description

Body stellate or weakly stellate (R/r=1.6–2.1), strongly arched, actinal surface convex. Disk thick, arms short, triangular in cross-section, interradial arcs curved (Fig. 7A).

Abactinal plates imbricate, flat and scalar, round (Fig. 7B). Plate size largely homogeneous on radial, interradial areas, surface flat to weakly convex. Plates number approximately 10 to 20 across each arm at base from superomarginal to superomarginal at R=1.5 (Fig. 7A). Coarse, bullet-shape to round granules, 4 to 5 counted along a 1.0 mm line, heterogeneous in shape with some twice the size of others. Granules cover surface evenly obscuring plate boundaries. Papular pores single, 4 to 10 proximally along each arm. Madreporite triangular, convex, sulci well-developed, flanked by six imbricate plates.

Marginals, approximately 36–40 per interradius, arm tip to arm tip (R=~1.5), superomarginals round to quadrate in shape, imbricating with adjacent superomarginals (Fig. 7B). Superomarginals similar in size and shape to adjacent abactinal plates, surface weakly convex to flat. Inferomarginals rounder in shape, more strongly convex with distal plates at oblique angles to superomarginals. Inferomarginals with well-developed gaps between them forming strongly crenelate outline. Well-developed but shallow groove along the superomarginal and inferomarginal contact. Superomarginals with bullet-shaped granules, 9–12, inferomarginals with bullet-shaped granules 3 to 6, in ordered series of 3 granules in each row with one row showing 3 along the actinolateral edge (2 in smaller individuals at R=1.0 cm) (Fig. 7C, E). Terminal plates trapezoid in shape, with no granules or spines, approximately three times the size of adjacent superomarginal plates (Fig. 7B). Inferomarginals with direct correspondence to actinal intermediate plate series. Actinal plates imbricate, surface mound-like. Transition between inferomarginal granules to actinal spinelets is even with granules and spinelets widely spaced (Fig. 7E). Actinal plates with thorny spines, 1–3, widely spaced. Grooves between transverse actinal plate series well-developed (Fig. 7E).

Furrow spines, 2 or 3, arranged in transverse series, contiguous with adjacent actinal plate series (Fig. 7E). Consequently, “subambulacrals” are spines on adjacent actinal plates as part of actinal to adambulacral series. Adambulacral plates imbricate, crescentic in shape. Oral plates wide, with furrow spines 2 with one spine directed into mouth, 3 total. Large central fossae between oral plates, oral plates with prominent ridge.

Material Examined

Holotype. USNM 1660653, South Orkney Islands, Scotia Sea, Antarctica, −59.975, −49.233, 3819–3876 m. Coll. R/V Eltanin USAP, 7 March 1963. 1 dry spec. R=1.4 r=0.7.

Paratypes. USNM 1082894, West of Elephant Island, South Shetland Islands, −60.925, −56.917, 2672–3020 m. Coll. R/V Eltanin, 13 March 1964. 3 dry specs. R=1.2 r=0.6, R=1.0 r=0.6, R=1.3 r=0.6.

USNM 1084434, West of Elephant Island, South Shetland Islands, Southern Ocean. −60.925, −56.917, 2672– 3020 m. Coll. R/V Eltanin, 13 March 1964. 10 dry specs. R=1.1 r=0.6, R=1.3 r=0.7, R=1.7 r=0.7, R=1.4 r=0.7, R=1.7 r=0.8, R=0.8 r=0.6, R=2.0 r=1.0, R=1.7 r=1.1, R=1.5 r=0.9, R=1.6 r=1.0.

USNM 1093803, Ross Sea, −74.642, −175.45, 2212–2306 m. Coll. R/V Eltanin, USAP, 28 Jan. 1967. 1 dry spec. R=1.3 r=0.7.

USNM 1662074, South Orkney Islands, −60.692, −42.783, 1226 m. Coll. R/V Eltanin, USAP, 19 Feb. 1963. 1 dry spec. R=0.7 r=0.5.

USNM 1664403, West of Elephant Island, South Shetland Islands, −60.925, −56.917, 2672–3020 m. Coll. R/V Eltanin, 13 March 1964. 1 dry spec. R=1.7 r=0.6.

CASIZ 163128, Elephant Island, Antarctica. −60.655278, −53.961667, 2896– 2895 m. Coll. R. Mooi & S. Lockhart aboard PFS Polarstern, 2 Feb. 2002, 2 wet specs. R=1.1 r=0.6, R=0.9 r=0.4.

CASIZ 163138, Near Livingston Island, −61.716667, −60.717222, 2856– 2853 m. Coll. R. Mooi & S. Lockhart aboard PFS Polarstern, 21 Aug. 2002, 10 wet specs. R=1.6 r=0.9, R=1.4 r=0.6, R=1.3 r=0.6, R=1.6 r=0.8, R=1.7 r=0.8, R=1.6 r=0.9, R=1.1 r=0.5, R=1.1 r=0.5, R=1.3 r=0.6, R=1.4 r=0.8 (6-armed variant)