Poraniomorpha bidens Mortensen 1932

Mah, Christopher L. & Foltz, David W., 2014, New taxa and taxonomic revisions to the Poraniidae (Valvatacea; Asteroidea) with Comments on Feeding Biology, Zootaxa 3795 (3), pp. 327-372 : 351-353

Poraniomorpha bidens Mortensen 1932

Poraniomorpha bidens Mortensen 1932: 9 –12, pl.1, figs. 1–3; Grainger 1966: 5, 28; Clark & Downey 1992: 215; Anisomova & Cochrane 2013: 121.

Taxonomic comments. As indicated by prior accounts, this species this species is distinguished by the presence of a pair of enlarged, blunt spines on the oral plates. These spines project upwards and back toward the actinal intermediate regions. Five to seven furrow spines (four to six in smaller specimens) are arranged in a prominent, transverse, weakly curved series along the tube foot furrow. Based on the type series, larger specimens (R=4.5) show more stellate body form (R=2.5) than smaller specimens.

Occurrence. East Greenland, Faeroe Channel, Arctic Ocean: northern Canada east to the Kara Sea. 450–1200 m.

Images examined. ZMK syntypes, AST-42 Jones Sound, near Baffin Bay, 75º54’N, 81º01’W, 610 m, Coll. Godthaab Expedtiion (1 dry spec, R=4.5, r=2.0); ZMK syntypes AST-54 75º35 N 65º41’W, 490 m (3 dry specs.)