Paraferdina sohariae Marsh & Price 1991

Mah, Christopher L., 2017, Overview of the Ferdina - like Goniasteridae (Echinodermata: Asteroidea) including a new subfamily, three new genera and fourteen new species, Zootaxa 4271 (1), pp. 1-72 : 65

Paraferdina sohariae Marsh & Price 1991

Figure 23 C, D

Marsh & Price 1991: 66; Clark & Mah 1999: 340 (checklist); Sastry 2002 (checklist): 26; Fernando 2006: 271 (checklist) (as Paraferdina sohariae )

Taxonomic comments. In the original description by Marsh and Price (1991), the authors described this species as including two variable morphologies, the one which was recognized as part of the type series and the second morphology represented in the paper from Thailand as PMBC 3048 . They also include the specimen cited in Koehler (1910) as a juvenile form of Neoferdina offreti as Paraferdina sohariae . It is argued that these forms are consistently different from those described and presented in the type series by Marsh and Price (1991) and are outlined as a new species of Paraferdina . Paraferdina sohariae as outlined in the type series ( Fig. 23 C, D) has not been observed in the literature since its description.

Occurrence. Sri Lanka, Similan Island , 12– 15 m .

Material examined. Paratype. USNM E40225 ; Galle , Deumba Gala, Sri Lanka, Indian Ocean. 12–15 m.; Coll. Sinbad Voyage; 1 wet spec. R=4.3, r=1.0.

Figures

FIGURE 23. A, B: Paraferdina laccadivensis, WAM Z 15962; Scale Bar = 3.0 mm. A. Abactinal surface. B. Actinal surface. C, D: Paraferdina sohariae paratype, USNM E 40225; Scale Bar = 6.0 mm. C. Abactinal surface. D. Actinal surface.