Henricia lineata, Clark, Roger N. & Jewett, Stephen C., 2010

Clark, Roger N. & Jewett, Stephen C., 2010, A new genus and thirteen new species of sea stars (Asteroidea: Echinasteridae) from the Aleutian Island Archipelago, Zootaxa 2571, pp. 1-36 : 10-12

Henricia lineata sp. nov.

Figures 14–19

Henricia leviuscula spiculifera (Clark) Verrill, 1914: 232 (pars), non Cribrella spiculifera H. L. Clark, 1901 . Henricia spiculifera (H. L. Clark) D'yakonov, 1950: 87 (pars), non Cribrella spiculifera H. L. Clark, 1901 . Henricia sp. A, R.N. Clark. www.jaxshells.org/ henricia 2.htm

Type locality: Alaska, Aleutian Islands, Near Islands, Attu Island, Chichagof Harbor (52º 55.861 N, 173º 15.295 E), 7 m.

Type material: Holotype, LACM 2007-027.001 (leg. R.N. Clark, 4 June, 2008; scuba 7 m) ( AKALE 07- 0019); 2 Paratypes, LACM 2007-027.002; 2 Paratypes, USNM 1125118 (Type locality); 2 Paratypes, CASIZ 180535 (Type locality); Paratype, UAM 8132, Alaska, Aleutian Islands, Rat Islands, Rat Island (51º 49.594 N, 178º 27.184 E) (leg. R.N. Clark, 1 July, 2007; scuba 9 m); Paratype, LACM 2007-028.001, Alaska, Aleutian Islands, Fox Islands, Avatanak Island (54º 05.188 N, 165º 22.839 W) (leg. R.N. Clark, 12 June, 2008; scuba 6 m).

Diagnosis: Relatively small, fairly rigid, R to 7 cm; disc small, rays moderately long, slender, tapering. Abactinal plates close-set, forming a tight reticulation, very spinose. Abactinal surface with three radial rows per ray of very tightly packed spinose plates forming conspicuous lines; similar rows of tightly packed or fused plates at ray arcs, forming internal septa; color in life red with lighter radial lines.

Description: Relatively small, R to 6 cm (Holotype R = 5.7 cm), r to 1.2 cm, R:r 5–6:1 ( Figs. 14 & 15 ); disc small, rays moderately long, slender, sub-cylindrical, tapering to blunt tips. Abactinal surface ( Fig. 16 ) thick, semi-rigid; abactinal plates relatively small, close set, forming a tight reticulation some plates very close set or fused into linear series, lacking papular areas between, forming three distinct lines on rays, similar linear series of plates at ray arcs, forming internal septa; plates crowned with 9–35 spinelets tipped with 3–8 very sharp thorns; papular areas rather small, with 1–3 papulae; madreporite small, circular, spinose, located about half way between anus and edge of disc, at the end of the ray arc linear plate series. Superomarginals slightly larger than abactinal plates, inferomarginals about twice high as high as long; twice as large as abactinal plates and bearing 40–50 spine tipped spinelets; a single series of intermarginals extends about 1/3 to 1/2 of R; a primary actinal inter-radial series extends about 90% of R, a second series extends about 1/4 to 1/2 of R. Adambulacrals ( Fig. 17 ) with a single deep furrow spine and 14–17 actinal spines, one to three longer and somewhat compressed spine(s) at furrow edge, and 13–15 smaller distally grading spines behind. Oral plates ( Fig. 18 ) five marginal and four to six suboral spines; in addition there are two to four thick, blunt, triangular, teeth deep in the furrow near the distal edge of the plate. Color in life ( Fig. 19), red abactinally, with pale red to yellow-orange radial lines; orally yellow-orange. Dried specimens retain the lined pattern.

Distribution: Found throughout the Aleutians from Fox Islands Avatanak Island, (54º 05.188 N, 165º 22.839 W) (leg. R.N. Clark, 12 June, 2008; scuba 6 m) to Near Islands, Attu Island, Chichagof Harbor (52º 55.861 N, 173º 15.295 E) (leg. R.N. Clark, 4 June, 2008; scuba 7 m) (Type locality) at depths of 6– 25 m. Also present at Bering Island, Commander Islands, Russia (55º11'44" N, 165º59' E) (per. com. Ken Vicknair, April, 2008), and along the Kamchatka, Russia coast (www.sanamyan.com). Henricia lineata is a member of the Aleutian Province, but the extent of its amphi-Pacific distribution requires further investigation.

Habitat: Subtidal boulders and bedrock covered with the thick encrusting coralline red algae Clathromorphum .

Etymology: Named for the brilliant red stripes on the rays.

Remarks: This species has long been confused with the similar Henricia multispina Fisher, 1910 (Fig. 20), under the mistaken identification of Henricia spiculifera (H.L. Clark, 1901) . This latter species has not been identified since Clark' s time. Clark's description differs on various points from that of H. multispina , and the type was from the vicinity of Puget Sound, Washington. An attempt to locate the type of H. spiculifera was unsuccessful, and it is presumed lost. It is therefore recommended that this name be treated as nomen inquirendum until the type or material from near the type locality that fits the original description can be located. Henricia lineata may be distinguished from H. multispina by 1) the prominent series of close-set aboral plates forming distinctive lines on the abactinal surface; 2) much smaller aboral plates; 3) relatively shorter, thicker, blunt-tipped rays, those of H. multispina are much more slender and pointed at the tips; and 4) dark reddish color, compared to white or pale lavender for H. multispina .

Figures

FIGURES 14 – 18. Henricia lineata, Holotype, LACM 2007 - 027.001. Fig. 14, Ray, abactinal view. Bar = 3.0 cm. Fig. 15, Ray, actinal view. Bar = 3.0 cm. Fig. 16, Close-up of abactinal surface. Bar = 5.0 mm. Fig. 17, Close-up of adambulacral region of ray. Bar = 2.0 mm. Fig. 18, Close-up of oral region. Bar = 2.0 mm.