Valettaster granulatus (Brunnich Nielsen, 1943)

Gale, Andrew Scott, 2021, Taxonomy and phylogeny of the ‘ football stars’ (Asteroidea, Sphaerasteridae), Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 19 (10), pp. 691-741 : 734

Valettaster granulatus (Brunnich Nielsen, 1943)

( Fig. 22H, K )

$1943 Valettaster granulatus Brunnich Nielsen : 65, pl. 4, fig. 37.

1950 Valettaster granulatus Brunnich Nielsen ; Wienberg Rasmussen: 94, pl. 10, fig. 24.

2000 Valettaster gr. ocellatus (Forbes) ; Jagt: 428, pl. 20, figs 25–28.

Type. The ossicle figured by Brunnich Nielsen (1943, pl. 4, fig. 37) is the holotype, from the upper Danian of Saltholm , Denmark ( MMH collections, unregistered) .

Diagnosis. Valettaster in which the abactinal ossicles bear scattered granules.

Material. Two abactinal ossicles from the lower Maastrichtian of Rugen, Germany ( SNSB-PGSB 2020 XLV 1-2).

Occurrence. The species is known from the Maastrichtian of Germany and Belgium and the Danian of Denmark.

Remarks. It is unclear whether the Maastrichtian specimens from Rugen ( Fig. 22H, K ) and north-east Belgium ( Jagt 2000, pl. 20, figs 25–28) should be referred to this species, described originally from the upper Danian of Denmark. The illustrations of Brunnich Nielsen and Wienberg Rasmussen are inadequate to get a good impression of the surface sculpture, which appears to consist of sparse, rounded granules standing clear of the surface. The late Campanian material figured by Jagt has dense, tiny granules, while the specimens from Rugen have widely spaced, small crater-rimmed rugosities. These may well both prove to be new species.

Figures

Figure 22. A–D, G, J, Valettaster digitatus (Quenstedt, 1858), abactinal ossicles, in external view (A, C, D, G, J) and lateral view (B) (GPIT/A5/50). E, Valettaster ocellatus (Forbes, 1848), abactinal ossicle, in external view (NHMUK EE 17696). F, I, Pouzaster pocknotata gen. et sp. nov., abactinal ossicles in external view (MHNML 2020.1.2, 1.3). H, K, Valettaster granulatus (Brunnich Nielsen, 1943), abactinal ossicles, external view (SNSB-BSGP 2020 XLV1, 2). L, Valettaster argus (Spencer, 1907), articulated group of abactinal ossicles (NHMUK EE 17637f). M, N, Valettaster thuyi sp. nov., holotype, abactinal ossicle in external and lateral views, respectively (MHNML 2020.1.1). Provenance: A–D, G, J are from the Oxfordian of Oerlingen, south Germany. B is from the Santonian of East Kent, UK. F, I are from the serpentinus ammonite Zone, Toarcian at Fougerolles, France. H, K are from the lower Maastrichtian of R¨ugen, Germany. M, N are from the bifrons ammonite Zone, Toarcian, Fougerolles, France. L is from the coranguinum Zone, Santonian, Broadstairs, Kent, UK. Scale bars: A–E, G, H, J, K = 5 mm; F, I, L = 0.5mm; M, N = 0.2 mm.