Dytaster insignis

• Main Author: Mah, Christopher L.
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Published: Zenodo 2020
• Subjects: Biodiversity; Taxonomy; Animalia; Echinodermata; Asteroidea; Paxillosida; Astropectinidae; Dytaster; Dytaster insignis; Northeast Atlantic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3803751; http://treatment.plazi.org/id/03AE8786FFB4D54BFF4024EEFD27591F

Dytaster insignis (Perrier 1884) Figure 4 A–B Dytaster is identified based on the numerous and complete series of sharp spines present on the superomarginal and inferomarginal series. Most characters determining Atlantic Dytaster spp. require a specimen, however Clark and Downey (1992) illustrate the proximity of the madreporite to the superomarginal plates as a diagnostic character for Dytaster grandis and Dytaster insignis , which both occur in the Gulf of Mexico. Dytaster grandis possesses a madreporite in direct contact with the superomarginals versus D. insignis whose madreporite is located well away from the superomarginal plates. Both observations listed below show the latter character, identifying this species as Dytaster insignis . Both individuals appeared to be the same species, but two colors morphs were observed, a deep orange form from the West Florida Escarpment (2987 m) and a white colored form from Period Canyon (2745 m). Based on the laser based scale bars projected by the ROV, the Perdido Canyon specimen was half the size (R=10.0 cm diameter) than the Florida Escarpment specimen (R=~20.0 cm diameter) suggesting that color could be correlated with size. The different localities and available food might also explain the variation in color. Ecological Observations Although well represented in museum collections, in situ video observations of this species, by Okeanos Explorer , are the first of this species from the Gulf of Mexico. Tyler et al . (1990) show a single photo of Dytaster grandis on bottom settings amidst phyotdetritus at 3500 m in the Northeast Atlantic. Tyler et al . (1990) noted that Dytaster grandis was omnivorous, summarizing gut contents of various prey items but also phytodetritus as food. Most Paxillosida have been characterized as burying themselves in the subsurface of weakly consolidated sediment (e.g. Jangoux 1982, Clark & Downey 1992) based primarily on trawled sediment and gut contents as well as comparisons with similar shallow-water taxa. But first hand observations ...