Poraniomorpha Danielssen and Koren 1881

Mah, Christopher L., 2023, New occurrence of Poraniidae (Valvatacea, Asteroidea) in Australia with a new genus and species from deep-sea settings, Memoirs of Museum Victoria 82, pp. 119-131 : 125

Poraniomorpha Danielssen and Koren 1881

Poraniomorpha Danielssen and Koren 1881: 189 .—1884: 67– 70.— Verrill 1895: 139.— Grieg 1907: 41–42.— Fisher 1911: 248 (in key).—1919: 407.— Koehler 1924: 157.— Mortensen 1927: 92.— Gallo 1937: 1664–1667.— Djakonov 1950: 58–59 (1968: 48–49).— Spencer and Wright 1966: U70.— Clark 1984: 33–41.— Clark and Downey 1992: 212.— Mah and Foltz 2014: 350 .

Rhegaster Sladen 1883: 155 .— 1889: 367.— Bell 1893: 80.— Verrill 1914: 17.

Lasiaster Sladen, 1889: 371–372 .— Bell 1893: 81.— Verrill 1899: 198.

Diagnostic comments. The diagnosis herein follows Mah and Foltz (2014), who recognised Poraniomorpha as a separate genus from Culcitopsis , disagreeing with Clark and Downey (1992), who argued that Culcitopsis was a subgenus of Poraniomorpha . This includes taxa with polygonal, imbricate, fenestrate plates and a solid abactinal skeleton as separate from species within Culcitopsis , which demonstrate strongly expressed fleshy tissue as part of their body wall.

Diagnosis. Body shape ranges from pentagonal to strongly stellate (R/r=1.2–2.75, 3.7–3.9 in this case), arms triangular, variably short to elongate. Characterised by compact, imbricate, fenestrate abactinal plates irregular in shape, but weakly convex, mound-like in overall appearance. Body surface overlaid by thick dermal tissue invested with granules bearing pointed tips, variable in abundance, density and homogeneity, covering abactinal marginal and actinal surface, obscuring plate boundaries. In other species, actinolateral fringe discrete with larger, thicker spines variably present. Actinal regions relatively large, plates imbricate in transverse series. Adambulacral armature prominent, forming a spiny fringe along tube foot groove. Two to five furrow spines.

Comments. Four species of Poraniomorpha are currently recognised: P. abyssicola ( Verrill, 1895) , P. bidens Mortensen 1932 , P. hispida ( Sars, 1872) , and P. tumida ( Stuxberg, 1878) , all of which occur in the North Atlantic and adjacent waters. This is the first occurrence of Poraniomorpha in the Southern Hemisphere.