Ceramaster Verrill, 1899

Mah, Christopher L., 2016, Deep-sea (> 1000 m) Goniasteridae (Valvatida; Asteroidea) from the North Pacific, including an overview of Sibogaster, Bathyceramaster n. gen. and three new species, Zootaxa 4175 (2), pp. 101-141 : 112-113

Ceramaster Verrill, 1899

Verrill, 1899: 161 [as Tosia (Ceramaster) ]

Fisher, 1906: 1054; 1911: 162, 204; Verrill, 1914: 289; Koehler, 1924: 173; Mortensen, 1927: 80; Djakonov, 1950: 38; Tortonese & A.M. Clark, 1956: 347; Halpern, 1970b: 62; 1970c: 212; 1970: 62; Downey, 1973: 49; McKnight, 1973: 178; Downey, 1973: 49; A.M. Clark & Courtman-Stock, 1976: 61; Downey in Clark & Downey, 1992: 231; A.M. Clark 1993: 247; H.E.S. Clark & McKnight 2001: 32, Mah 2011: 5 (as Ceramaster )

Koehler, 1909: 78 [type species Pentagonaster (Philonaster) mortenseni Koehler, 1909 ] (as Philonaster ) Verrill, 1914: 292 (As Tosiaster )

Comments. Several issues surround the genus Ceramaster , including uncertainty regarding its monophyly and overlap with such genera as Peltaster (Mah 2011) .

I argue that species described herein most closely resembles the type species, C. grenadensis and share several fundamental synapomorphies, including the presence of wide (W>L) inferomarginal plates, strongly abactinal facing superomarginal plates, and a flattened, pentagonal body shape (R/r<2.0). These characters serve to separate C. clarki , C. grenadensis , C. japonicus , C. leptoceramus , C. smithi and C. pointsurae n. sp. from Bathyceramaster .

Descriptions of some Ceramaster sp., including Ceramaster glasbyi McKnight 1993 display a more stellate shape and lack fasciolar grooves. These will need to be considered more thoroughly pending an overview of the 16 species nominally assigned to Ceramaster .