Meridiastra calcar ( Lamarck, 1816 )

Jangoux, Michel, 2021, The asteroid species of Lamarck (Echinodermata: Asteroidea), Zoosystema 43 (13), pp. 213-252 : 215-216

calcar var. octogona Lamarck, 1816 , Asterias

( Fig. 4 )

Asterias calcar var. octogona Lamarck, 1816: 557 .

Asteriscus australis (part) Müller & Troschel, 1842: 43.

Meridiastra calcar – Clark 1993: 224. — O’Loughlin & Waters 2004: 3.

Patiriella calcar – Clark in Clark & Mah 2001: 252.

CURRENT STATUS. — Meridiastra calcar ( Lamarck, 1816) .

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Australia • MNHN-IE-2014-248 ; holotype; King George Sound, Albany ; Baudin expedition (1800-1804); Péron and Lesueur leg. • MHNH; Lesueur drawings collection ref. 74039; Baudin expedition .

DISTRIBUTION. — South and east coasts of Australia, Tasmania.

REMARKS

Three varieties of Asterias calcar were briefly described by Lamarck – viz. hexagona, octogona and quinqueangula – whose individuals were collected in Australian waters (King George Sound [Albany], West Australia) and are still in the MNHN.

Lamarck reported their colour in life from a Lesueur drawing and without distinguishing the varieties (“Cette astérie est rouge, violette, brillante de couleur, et ressemble à une fleur lorsqu’elle est vivante [this sea star is red, violet, of brilliant colours and looks like a flower when alive]”). Lesueur’s drawings indicate these colours should at least characterize individuals of the variety octogona .

The type specimen of Asterias calcar var. octogona was not recognised by Müller & Troschel (1842) who made it one of the types of their new species, Asteriscus australis .

Figures

FIG. 4. — Asterias calcar var. octogona Lamarck, 1816: A, B, abactinal (A) and actinal (B) surfaces; C, profile view; D, armament of abactinal plates; E, actinolateral plates and adambulacral spines (text: “dessous” [underside]); F, holotype of Meridiastra calcar (Lamarck, 1816) (A-E, Lesueur collection ref. 74039, details, courtesy of MHNH; F, MNHN-IE-2014-248). Scale bar: F, 20 mm.