Bathyceramaster smithi ( Fisher 1913 )

Mah, Christopher L., 2024, New genera and species of deep-sea Goniasteridae (Asteroidea) from the North Pacific, Zootaxa 5543 (4), pp. 451-500 : 461

Bathyceramaster smithi ( Fisher 1913)

FIGURE 13A–D

Ceramaster smithi Fisher 1913: 640 ; 1919: 257.

Bathyceramaster smithi Mah 2022: 34 , Figs. 11A–E .

Diagnosis

Body weakly pentagonal to stellate (R/r=1.75–2.0), arms broadly triangular.Abactinal plate surfaces hexagonal with central round granules, 5–50 (mostly 20–30), with slightly larger, polygonal to quadrate granules, 10 to 40 forming periphery of each plate. Shallow fasciolar grooves present. Marginal plates forming rolled edge along periphery, plates covered by round, densely but evenly packed granules in ordered series, similar to those on abactinal plates, approximately 10 along a 1.0 mm line. Plate surface covered by 10–30 coarse, evenly spaced granules, approximately four to five along a 1.0 mm line. Granules round to weakly polygonal, with flattened surface, larger centrally on plate, smaller around plate periphery in one to three rows. Granular cover dense, forming consistent covering over actinal plates, obscuring contact between them as well as between actinal and inferomarginal plates. Adambulacral spines, coarse 4–5 with 3–4 enlarged subambulacral spines. No pedicellariae observed (but pedicellariae present for other specimens)

Comments

Individuals in Figure 13A–D appear consistent with the description of this species from Mah (2022) which show a stellate body, abactinal tabulate surface, crenulate marginal plate periphery, and granule covered marginal plates.

Occurrences

North Pacific. Remote Pacific Islands Monument region, 1282–1374.8 m Central Pacific. Palawan Passage to Leyte, Philippine Islands. 686–1215 m

Figures

FIGURE 11. Sibogaster nieseni Mah 2016. A–B. Abactinal, oral view of MCZ 37220 Galapagos Islands C.–D. Abactinal, oral view of NMST-E-13680, East off Mukojima, Japan. Scale bar=10.0 mm: A; Scale bar=5.0 mm; C; Scale bar=3.0 mm: B, D.

FIGURE 13. Bathyceramaster smithi (Fisher 1913) feeding on glass sponges. A–B. Feeding on Waltheria sp. Teutana Seamount, 1317.7 m. C–D. Feeding on Farrea sp. Winslow reef Area, 1374.8 m. No scale.