Description of a new family, new genus and two new species of deep-sea Forcipulatacea (Asteroidea), including the first known sea star from hydrothermal vent habitats

• Published in: Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society
• Main Authors: Mah, Christopher, Linse, Katrin, Copley, Jonathan, Marsh, Leigh, Rogers, Alex, Clague, David, Foltz, David
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: Wiley 2015
• Subjects: Marine Sciences; East Scotia Ridge; Pacific; Southern Ocean
• Online Access: http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/508030/

Based on a phylogenetic analysis of undescribed taxa within the Forcipulatacea, a new family of deep-sea forcipulatacean starfishes, Paulasteriidae fam. nov., is described from deep-sea settings. Paulasterias tyleri gen. et sp. nov. was observed at recently documented hydrothermal vents on the East Scotia Ridge, Southern Ocean. A second species, Paulasterias mcclaini gen. et sp. nov. was observed in deep-sea settings in the North Pacific, more distant from hydrothermal vents. Both species are multi-armed (with between six and eight arms), with a fleshy body wall, and a poorly developed or absent adoral carina. Here, we include discussions of pedicellariae morphology, feeding biology, and classification