Aquilonastra watersi, 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 : 283-284

Aquilonastra watersi sp. nov.

Figures 1, 3j, 6l, 10e

ʻAsterinaʼ sp. 1.— Rowe and Richmond, 2004: 3287 (part, Trou Malabar specimens).

ʻ Asterina ʼ sp. 2. — Rowe and Richmond, 2004: 3287 (part, Rivière Banane specimen).

Asterina cephea .— Loriol, 1885: 69–71, pl. 21 figs 1–5 (non Asteriscus cepheus Müller and Troschel, 1842 ).

Material examined. Holotype. Oman, Masirah I., shore, under rocks, G. Paulay, 5 Nov 1999, UF 3282 (alcohol).

Paratypes. Type locality and date, UF 70 (5, alcohol); UF 3283 (1, dry, dissected); Masirah I., reef slope, under rocks, 1–5 m, G. Paulay, 1 Nov 1999, UF 356 (1, alcohol) .

Other material. Oman, Bar al Hikman peninsula, under rocks, 0–6 m, Jan 2005, UF 4142 (10) ; UF 4148 (1) ; UF 4144 (1) ; UF 4192 (2) ; Red Sea, Egypt, near Qusier , 2002, NMV F106970 (1) ; Mauritius, MNHN EcAs11866 (1); ex MAU 74–6, EcAs11867 (1); ex MAU 74– 20, EcAs11868 (1); ex MAU 74–23, EcAs11869 (1); ex MAU 74–24, EcAs11870 (1); ex MAU 74–33, EcAs11871 (2); ex MAU 74–36, EcAs11872 (1); ex MAU 74–37, EcAs11873 (1); ex MAU 74–38, EcAs11874 (1); ex MAU 74–40, EcAs11875 (1) ; Mauritius, Robillard , NHM [18]89.3.11.7–9 (3); Cape Malheureux , Coin de Mire I., 24 m, 15 Nov 1999, UF 3281 (1) ; Rodrigues I., Rivière Banane , in algae, 21 Sep 2001, AM J24290 (1) ; Trou Malabar , coral rubble, 10 m, 22 Sep 2001, NHM 2004.2813 – 2814 (2) ; Madagascar, Nossi-Bi, littoral reef, 2 Dec 1959, EcAs 11906 (1) .

Diagnosis. Non-fissiparous Aquilonastra species; rays 5, broad basally, tapering, rounded distally, up to R = 19 mm, r = 11 mm; gonopores abactinal; few pedicellariae in abactinal interradii, each with 2 thick curved pointed differentiated valves, not evident on small specimens.

At R = 16 mm, r = 9 mm, 0–10 proximal doubly papulate carinal plates, each with up to 4 spinelet clusters each cluster with up to 7 spinelets; up to about 20 spinelets on proximal abactinal plates, in clusters or band across proximal edge of plate; rare small secondary plates; spinelets small, thin, long, digitiform to predominantly bluntly conical, sometimes subsacciform, rarely splay-pointed; up to about 8 in tufts on distal interradial plates, not overlapping adjacent plate spinelets if splayed; superomarginal plates smaller than inferomarginals, superomarginals with up to about 7 spinelets per plate, inferomarginals with up to about 14 larger spinelets per plate.

Spines per actinal plate up to: oral 7, suboral 6, furrow 6, subambulacral 6, actinal interradial 8, predominantly 5–6; interradial spines thick basally, conical, subsacciform.

Colour (live). Mottled pale brown, red-brown, grey-brown, blue-grey, off-white (photo by G. Paulay).

Distribution. Arabian Sea, Oman; Red Sea, Egypt; W Indian Ocean, Mauritius, Rodrigues I.; 0– 24 m.

Etymology. Named for Jon Waters, of the University of Otago in New Zealand, in appreciation of his significant contribution to our understanding of the molecular phylogeny of Asterinidae .

Remarks. Two of the larger specimens from Mauritius ( UF 3281, MNHN EcAs11868) have the characteristic pedicellariae of the types from Oman. For population studies by Soliman (1999) see Remarks under A. burtonii above. A. watersi is distinguished by differentiated thick pedicellariae, and small, thin, long, subacicular spinelets.