Leptasterias tatei Clark & Jewett, 2015, sp. nov.

• Main Authors: Clark, Roger N., Jewett, Stephen C.
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2015
• Subjects: Biodiversity; Taxonomy; Animalia; Echinodermata; Asteroidea; Forcipulatida; Asteriidae; Leptasterias; Leptasterias tatei; Thumb; Adak; Amchitka; Amchitka Island; Makarius Bay; Alaska; Aleutian Islands
• Online Access: https://zenodo.org/record/6105211; https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6105211

Leptasterias tatei sp. nov. Figures 1–11 Type locality. Alaska, Aleutian Islands, Adak Island, Thumb Bay entrance, W side (51 ° 50.08 N, 176 ° 32.31 W) (leg. Roger N. Clark, scuba 11 m; 20 July, 2011; R/V Norseman). Holotype. LACM 2011 - 158.001 Paratype. LACM 2011 - 159.001; genetic sample LACM 2011 - 159.002 Alaska, Aleutian Islands, Amchitka Island, SE side, W of Makarius Bay (51 ° 23.16 N, 179 ° 11.02 E). Diagnosis.Star of moderate size; R to 9 cm, R:r 6–9 (Fig. 1). Five rays, relatively long; abactinal ossicles 2–4 lobed, with single spines; spines relatively short, stout, truncated bearing numerous fine vertical ridges; superomarginal and inferomarginal ossicles bear a single thick, blunt spine, similar to abactinal spines; all spines wreathed with numerous crossed pedicellariae. Tube feet, in four rows. Color in life reddish with lighter mottlings abactinally, actinal surface straw colored. Description. Moderate sized star R to 9 cm, r = 1 cm, R:r 9.1 (Holotype, Fig. 1). Disc small, five rays, fairly long, tapering, relatively soft. Skeleton relatively open; papular areas relatively large, bearing 3–6 papulae, obscured by wreaths of pedicellariae on spines in live individuals; bearing scattered large straight pedicellaria to 1.25 mm long (Figs. 2–3) on papular areas; pedicellariae broadened distally, and bearing four “teeth” per valve. Carinal ossicles 2–4 lobed, bearing single spines, dorsolateral ossicles single spined, also 2–4 lobed, but forming a more open meshwork (Fig. 4), and bearing small, irregular accessory plates; spines relatively short, thick truncated, with strong vertical ridges continuing onto the dorsal surface; encircled by a fleshy wreath of small, crossed pedicellariae up to 0.25 mm in length (Figs. 4–5). Madreporite small, about 3.5 mm in diameter, roughly circular with irregular ridges. Superomarginal ossicles 4 lobed and inferomarginal ossicles 3–4 lobed (Fig. 6), typically bearing single (rarely two) pedicellariae-wreathed spines, longer and more slender than those of the carinal ...