Aquilonastra colemani, O, 2006

O, P. Mark, 2006, A systematic revision of the asterinid genus Aquilonastra O Loughlin, 2004 (Echinodermata: Asteroidea), Memoirs of Museum Victoria 63 (2), pp. 257-287 : 271

Aquilonastra colemani sp. nov.

Figures 1, 2i–j, 5e, 7f

Material examined. Holotype. SE Papua New Guinea, China Straits , Samarai I., on rubble, 150°48'E, 9°40'S, 10 m, J. Starmer, 6 Jun 1998, UF 3284 (dry).

Paratypes. Type locality and date, UF 2419 (8, dry) .

Other material. Indonesia, Flores Sea, West Sumbawa Regency , Mayo I., underside of coral rubble, shallow sublittoral, 14 Nov 2005, NMV F112173 (1) ; F109374 (4).

Diagnosis. Fissiparous Aquilonastra species; up to 7 rays, predominantly 6, narrow base, rounded distally, subdigitiform; up to R = 5 mm, r = 3 mm; high elevation apically, sides of rays steep; up to 2 inconspicuous interradial madreporites seen, up to 3 anal pores; gonopores not evident.

At R = 5 mm, upper ray plates irregular in size and form, longitudinal series of large papulae along sides of rays, single papula per plate; secondary plates present; spinelets thick short conical to columnar, spinous surface, not splay-pointed, up to about 12 spinelets on free surface of proximal abactinal plates; superomarginal and inferomarginal plates subequal; superomarginal plates each with up to about 8 spinelets, inferomarginal plates each with up to about 12 spinelets.

Spines per actinal plate up to: oral 6, suboral 3, furrow 5, subambulacral 3, actinal interradial 2; interradial spines glassy, rugose, bluntly pointed conical to digitiform.

Colour (live). Abactinally very dark brown on disc and upper rays, white margin (photos from N. Coleman, S. Uthicke). Distribution. SE Papua New Guinea, China Straits; Indonesia, Flores Sea, Mayo I.; 0–10 m.

Etymology. Named for Neville Coleman, with gratitude for his generous assistance in making available to us his many live colour slides of Indo-Pacific asterinids.

Remarks. The distingusihing features of A. colemani are the small size (up to R = 5 mm), fissiparous habit, and dark brown with white margin colouration