Neoferdina japonica Oguro & Misaki 1986

Mah, Christopher L., 2017, Overview of the Ferdina - like Goniasteridae (Echinodermata: Asteroidea) including a new subfamily, three new genera and fourteen new species, Zootaxa 4271 (1), pp. 1-72 : 53-54

Neoferdina japonica Oguro & Misaki 1986

Oguro & Misaki 1986: 60; Saba et al. 2002: 58 Okutani, T, 1994: 251 (as N. cumingi )

? Saba and Fujita 2006: 276 (as Neoferdina offreti )

Occurrence. Philippines, Kushimoto, Wakayama Prefecture , Japan, 6–20 m ( SCUBA depth).

Comments. Oguro and Misaki (1986) described this species from the collection of the Sabiura Marine Park Research Station but did not provide much more collection information beyond the general locality. Based on observations from field guides (e.g. Saba et al. 2002) it is inferred that this species generally occurs at SCUBA depth (20 m) . Although the type series of N. japonica is published as being deposited at Toyama University ( Oguro and Misaki 1986: 60) inquiries indicate that the asteroid type collection is no longer stored there and the status of these specimens is uncertain.

Saba and Fujita (2006: 276) described a specimen of Neoferdina from the Sagami Sea in central Japan which displayed an abactinal surface “densely covered by fine granules without bare areas” with small, similarly sized abactinal plates but which also lacked bare spots on the first superomarginals in each interradius. Although there is overlap with other species, all three characters are observed in N. japonica (as described by Oguro and Misaki 1986) suggesting that the Neoferdina offreti in Saba and Fujita (2006) is possibly N. japonica .

One specimen from the Philippines (CASIZ 27279) displays the characteristic absent bald regions on the paired interradial superomarginal plates as well as numerous convex plates covered by granular tegument. However, the specimen differs from specimens described by Oguro and Misaki (1986), which displayed bald convex plates on the abactinal surface. CASIZ 27279 was relatively large (R= 4.8 cm) and displayed arms which were thick and triangular in outline, suggesting Neoferdina gigantea , which is possibly synonymous with N.

japonica . Transverse series in this specimen are weakly developed as were the convex plates suggesting this specimen also displays some intermediate characters with Neoferdina insolita .

Material examined. CASIZ 207279 ; Philippines . Philippines. Puerto Galera , Wreck Point dive site. 13°31’20”N, 120° 59’17”E, 6–20m (20–65 ft); Coll. T.M. Gosliner, 27 Mar 2015; 1 wet spec. R=4.8, r=1.3.