Aquilonastra lorioli ( Koehler, 1910 ) 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 : 277

Aquilonastra lorioli ( Koehler, 1910) comb. nov.

Figures 1, 4c, 6b–c, 9b–c

Asterina lorioli Koehler, 1910: 129–131 , pl. 19 figs 5–8.—H.L Clark, 1915: 95.—A.M. Clark and Rowe, 1971: 38, 67.—A.M. Clark, 1993: 211.—OʼLoughlin and Waters, 2004: 11, 37.

Palmipes sarasini de Loriol, 1897: 12 .— Koehler, 1910: 129 (part; non Palmipes sarasini de Loriol, 1897 ).

Material examined. Syntypes. Pakistan, Karachi , MNHN EcAs2662 (1, dry, ray broken off); Mergui Archipelago, Cheduba I., WAM Z6848 (1, dry) .

Other material. Bombay, BMNH 1960.10.4.11–16 (2); Native Jetty, Karachi, BMNH 1967.11.1.4 (2); Pakistan, Buleji , 24°N, 66°E, 9 Sep 2006, NMV F112184 (9) .

Diagnosis. Non-fissiparous Aquilonastra species; rays 5, rarely 6 ( Koehler, 1910, pl. 19 fig. 7), broad basally, narrowly rounded distally, up to R = 22 mm, r = 13 mm; gonopores abactinal.

At R = 22 mm, variable series of doubly-papulate carinal plates from none to half ray length, each with one cluster or up to 4 tufts of spinelets, up to about 20 spinelets on proximal carinal plates; disc defined by 5 transversely elongate series of subpaxilliform spinelets on radial plates, 5 small interradial plates; some high paxilliform clusters of spinelets on rays; spinelets vary significantly in form from large globose to thick digitiform apically on plates, to small pointed conical on margin of plates and on secondary plates; papular spaces large, predominantly single large papula per space, frequently 2 per space, up to 5 small secondary plates per space; superomarginal and inferomarginal plates subequal, superomarginal plates with up to about 10 short conical spinelets per plate, inferomarginal plates with up to about 20 spinelets.

Spines per actinal plate up to: oral 7, suboral 4, furrow 6, subambulacral 5, actinal interradial 6, predominantly 3; interradial spines thick, digitiform to bluntly conical.

Colour (live). Abactinal colour variably mottled with grey-brown, green-brown, yellow-brown, red-brown, red, brown (photos from Qaseem Tahera).

Distribution. Arabian Sea, Karachi, Bombay, Ceylon.

Remarks. Specimen EcAs2662 (R = 18 mm) is from the type locality (Karachi), and the label is written in Koehlerʼs handwriting (Tim OʼHara pers. comm.). It is judged here to be a syntype. Specimen WAM Z6848 (R = 7 mm) is from the type locality (Cheduba I.), and the label records “Exchange Zoological Survey India ”. It is judged to be one of the small specimens (7- 11 mm) referred to by Koehler (1910), and also a syntype.

OʼLoughlin and Waters (2004) listed Asterina lorioli as incertae sedis, because type material and information about internal skeletal structure were not available. Type material is available for this study, and the species is reassigned as the new combination Aquilonastra lorioli ( Koehler, 1910) . The variety of spinelet form, and paxilliform clusters of spinelets along rays, are similar to the spinelet arrrangement in Aquilonastra coronata (Martens, 1886) . A. lorioli is distinguished by the globose to subgranuliform spinelets. A specimen (photo from Qaseem Tahera, figure 9c) has eight rays and two conspicuous madreporites, but the spinelets are distinctively those of A. lorioli .