Milteliphaster Alcock 1893

(member of Calliaster lineage)

Alcock 1893: 91 (as Milteliphaster)

Comments. Rowe and Gates (1995) briefly outlined several taxonomic changes for Calliaster spinosus and Calliaster regenerator and Milteliphaster; review of one of the syntypes Milteliphaster woodmason i (MNHN IE- 2014-164) indicates that these changes were unwarranted. Milteliphaster woodmasoni demonstrates elongate, rectangular shaped marginal plates with a pronounced lateral frame, forming a very small proportion of the total “r” distance n the disk as opposed to nearly all of the other Calliaster species, which show a more distinct abactinal facing with a more pronounced “r” distance.

Significant differences between M. woodmasoni and Milteliphaster wanganellensis H.E.S. Clark 1982, include wide, abactinal facing superomarginals as well as differing spine occurrence patterns and a very different, stout body morphology. The diagnoses for Milteliphaster as outlined by H.E.S. Clark (1982) and Clark and McKnight (2001) appear generalized and show relatively little difference from Calliaster, making them difficult to find useful in differentiating the two genera. The two species placed in Milteliphaster, as outlined by Rowe and Gates (1995), are also not consistent with the characters present in Milteliphaster woodmasoni given the comparison of those species with the type species, M. woodmasoni .