Notioceramus anomalus Fisher, 1940

Mah, Christopher L., 2023, New Genera, Species, and observations on the biology of Antarctic Valvatida (Asteroidea), Zootaxa 5310 (1), pp. 1-88 : 34

Notioceramus anomalus Fisher, 1940

Notioceramus anomalus Fisher, 1940: 119 ; A.M. Clark 1962: 23 (key); Mein 1992: 244; Mah 2011: 32; Ruiz 2016: 286; Table 5.1; Frayasse et al. 2018: 2427.

Comments

Historically, Notioceramus anomalus was considered monotypic and was known only from relatively shallow waters, 73–1120 m. Further records of N. anomalus from Mah (2011) extended known occurrence to the Chilean waters, the Scotia Sea and Antarctic waters adjacent to the peninsula. Frayasse et al. (2018) further recorded this species from Burdwood Bank in the South Atlantic. Ruiz (2016) recorded N. anomalus from the Bellinghausen Sea. These latter two accounts are reported but specimens have not been verified. No reports of Notioceramus anomalus from the Ross Sea could be located.

Notioceramus anomalus displays much rounder and larger granulation as well as a more strongly developed skeleton relative to the deeper-water species described herein, especially Notioceramus abyssalis n. sp.

Diagnosis (emended based on Mah 2011)

Body stout, stellate species (R/r=1.8–2.1). Arms short, triangular. Disk thickened. Abactinal plates flattened, tightly abutted forming parchment-like disk surface, covered by dense continuous cover of granules, coarse, round, approximately 2–9 per plate, obscuring plate boundaries. Marginal plates 30–34 per interradius. Plates covered by further coarse, round granules identical to those on abactinal surface. Granules forming part of thickened edge on marginal plates along actinolateral boundary where inferomarginals meet actinal plates.

Actinal surface covered by round, coarse granules, 2–9, similar but slightly larger than those abactinal, marginal plate surface. Furrow spines 2–3, mostly 2, oval to quadrate in cross section. Subambulacral spines 1–2, thickened, quadrate in cross-section.

Occurrence

Off Valdivia, Chile, Tierra Del Fuego region, Trinity Peninsula, South Shetland Islands, Bransfield Strait, South Georgia Island, Scotia Sea. 73–1120 m.

Material Examined

USNM E13724 , South Shetland Islands, Bransfield Strait, South of King George Island , −62.233, −58.283, 509–549 m. Coll. R/V Eltanin, 3 Jan. 1963. 2 dry specs. R=3.2 r=1.5, R=2.9 r=1.4.

USNM E13726 , Trinity Peninsula, Antarctic Peninsula , Bransfield Strait. −62.667, −57.808, 662–1120 m. Coll. USAP, R/V Eltanin, 5 Jan. 1963. 1 dry spec. R=2.9 r=1.9.