Asteroschema cf arenosum Lyman, 1878

(Fig. 1A–D)

Asteroschema arenosum Lyman, 1878: 235, pl. 3 figs. 62–64; Barboza et al., 2010: 242; Frensel et al., 2010: 175.

Material Examined. USNM 1072539, Pioneer Cruise 17, south of Lombok, eastern Indian Ocean, 10° 50’S, 117° 50’E, 1000 m, 17 March 1964, 3 specimens.

Remarks. These specimens were identified as A. arenosum on the basis of the disc and upper arm covering of flat polygonal plate-shaped external ossicles (Fig. 1C), the lateral arm cover of fine rounded granule-shaped external ossicles (Fig. 1D), and the presence initially of one, then two, arm spines. One complete specimen had a disc diameter of 11 mm and arms 180 mm long (Fig. 1A–B).

The type specimen of A. arenosum was collected in the Gulf of Mexico and its occurrence in the Indo-Pacific region is thus a very large extension of its range. Given that this species has been recorded from a depth of 1449 m in the western Atlantic (Pawson et al. 2009), it is likely to be a distinct taxon. However, we here refrain from describing another species here since we examined only 3 specimens. Future morphological observations and molecular analyses based on more specimens are required.