Aquilonastra coronata ( Martens, 1866 )

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 : 273-274

Aquilonastra coronata ( Martens, 1866)

Figures 1, 2l, 8d

Asterina coronata Martens, 1866: 73–74 .— Fisher, 1918: 108– 110.—A.M. Clark and Rowe, 1971: 68, pl. 9 fig. 6. — VandenSpiegel et al., 1998: 452–453, fig. 37A–D, pl. 3 fig. 8.—A.M. Clark, 1993: 208.— Rowe and Gates, 1995: 34. — Chao, 1999: 407–408. — Fujita et al., 2001: 319–320, pl. 2H. — Waters et al., 2004: 876–877, tbl. 1, figs 2, 3.

Asterina spinigera Koehler, 1911: 20–21 , pl. 4 figs 11, 12 (junior synonym by VandenSpiegel et al., 1998).

Asterina novae-zealandiae .— Goto, 1914: 643, pl. 19 figs 279–281 (non Asterina novaezelandiae Perrier, 1875 = A. coronata Martens, 1866 , according to Fisher, 1919: 413).

Asterina cristata Fisher, 1916: 27–28 .

Asterina cristata euerces Fisher, 1917: 91 .

Asterina coronata cristata Fisher, 1918: 111 , pl. 13.— Fisher, 1919: 411–414, pl. 115 fig. 3, pl. 131 figs 4, 4a.— Fisher, 1925: 80.—A.M. Clark, 1993: 208–209.—OʼLoughlin and Waters, 2004: 15 (junior synonym, this work).

Asterina coronata euerces Fisher, 1918: 110 .— Fisher, 1919: 414– 416, pl. 115 figs 1–2, pl. 116 figs 1–2, pl. 131 figs 5, 5a.—A.M. Clark, 1993: 209.—OʼLoughlin and Waters, 2004: 15 (junior synonym, this work).

Asterina coronata fascicularis Fisher, 1918: 110 .— Fisher, 1919: 414.—H.L. Clark, 1928: 390.—H.L. Clark, 1938: 145–148, pl. 12 fig. 1.—A.M. Clark, 1993: 209 (junior synonym by Rowe and Gates, 1995).

Asterina coronata coronata .— Fisher, 1918: 110.— Fisher, 1919: 414.—A.M. Clark, 1993: 208.

Asterina coronata forma japonica Hayashi, 1940: 119–120, pl. 11 figs 5–7, pl. 13, fig. 7.— Hayashi, 1973: 72, pl. 12 fig. 3 (junior synonym, this work).

Aquilonastra coronata .—OʼLoughlin and Waters, 2004: 11, 13– 15.— Byrne, 2006: 245, tbls 1, 2, fig. 1.

Material examined. Australia, NT, Darwin, H.L. Clark, Jul 1929, NMV F95797 (2) ; 11 Jun 1976, F95798 (1); 13 Jun 1976, F95796 (4); AM J6188 (10) ; J6613 (18); J8206 (2); Caroline Is., J13660 (1); Taiwan, Sanshi, 28 Feb 2003, UF 1425 (2) ; J19956 (1); Japan, F96700 (1); Kushimoto, J11563 (2).

Diagnosis. Non-fissiparous Aquilonastra species; rays 5, broad basally, tapering, narrowly rounded distally; up to R = 32 mm; gonopores abactinal; numerous abactinal pedicellariae frequently present, 2–4 curved pointed differentiated valves.

At R = 30 mm, r = 14 mm; abactinal surface very uneven with irregularly distributed high paxilliform plates; abactinal spinelets of 2 forms on paxilliform plates, up to about 6 thick long digitiform or pointed spinelets on apex of each plate, up to about 10 thin short pointed spinelets around margin of plate; thin spinelets subacicular, not splay-pointed; disc clearly delineated by 5 radial 5 interradial plates; lacking doubly-papulate carinal plates; upper ray with irregular zig zag series of small primary and secondary plates, lacking papulae; 0–4 secondary plates per papular space on upper rays, intergrade with primary plates; 1–4 papulae per papular space; superomarginal plates smaller than inferomarginals, superomarginals with up to about 10 thin, rugose, pointed, not splay-pointed spinelets per plate; inferomarginals with up to about 4 thick long digitiform or pointed spinelets on apex of each plate, up to about 12 thin spinelets around margin of plate.

Spines per actinal plate variably up to: oral 8, suboral 8, furrow 7, subambulacral 7, actinal interradial 7, predominantly 5; interradial spines conical, pointed, frequently two forms on each plate, thick centrally thin peripherally.

Colour (live). “The normal coloration is mottled olive-greens, light and dark, with more or less dark dull red, usually in irregular blotches. One specimen was very largely bright rustred, over most of the dorsal surface. Some specimens occur with no trace of green dorsally; these are more or less fawncolour mottled with brown and have a distinct red tinge. Most secimens have red markings but the shade may be very deep; in a few cases it was replaced by black. A common feature is a blotch of carmine at the base of each arm; in one specimen this was nearer vermilion.” (H.L. Clark, 1938); mottled grey-brown, with orange and white markings (photo from M. Komatsu); mottled grey-brown, with dark brown, orange and white markings (photo from T. Fujita).

Distribution. Northern Australia to Japan, Singapore to Caroline Is.

Remarks. Fisher (1916, 1917, 1918, 1919, 1925) established and maintained three subspecies of Asterina coronata , but stated his own uncertainty. H.L. Clark (1928) recorded his doubt about the subspecies. Hayashi (1940) added a fourth subspecies from Japan. Rowe and Gates (1995) made A. coronata fascicularis a junior synonym of A. coronata . Material from Taiwan and northern Australian are morphologically conspecific, including the presence of abundant pedicellariae. In his key to four subspecies Fisher (1919) used the presence of pedicellariae to key A. coronata euerces from the other three. This is erroneous, since abundant pedicellariae are present in the northern Australian and northern Pacific material. These pedicellariae closely resemble those illustrated by Fisher (1919, pl. 131 fig 5a) for A. coronata euerces . Variation in spine number per plate is not an adequate basis for upholding the subspecies. All are judged here to be junior synonyms.

OʼLoughlin and Waters (2004) redetermined two specimens from Bombay ( NHM 1960.10.4.11–16), previously identified as Asterina lorioli , as Aquilonastra coronata . That decision is reversed here.

The distinguishing character of A. coronata is the irregularly distributed high paxilliform abactinal plates with two forms of spinelets.