Solaster caribbaeus Verrill 1915

Solaster caribbaeus Verrill

Solaster caribbaeus Verrill, 1915:54, pl. 28: figs. 1–1a.–Gray, Downey, and Cerame-Vivas, 1968:152, fig. 27.

The disc is moderately broad, and the eight arms are short, rounded, and tapering. The dorsum is slightly inflated, and the cruciform dorsal plates form a close reticulum. The pseudopaxillae are about as high as the width of a plate and bear 6–10 upright spinules about as long as the pedicel. Solid areas of fused plates, mostly without paxillae, occur in the interradii. Papular pores are single and occur over the entire surface. The superomarginal plates are indistinguishable from the adjacent abactinal plates. The inferomarginal plates are raised, broader than long, and bear 10–15 spinules. They define the actinal ambitus. The actinal interradial areas are narrow and the plates extend far out on the arm. They are spaced, not much raised from the surface, and bear 1–6 short, sharp, stout spines larger than the spinules of the abactinal surface. The adambulacral plates bear, on a curved furrow margin, four moderately long, subequal spines, and on the actinal face of the plate, a transverse series of 3 or 4 longer, stouter, acute spines. The large mouth plates have a rounded apical margin bearing 6–8 long, stout spines, evenly graded from two large apical spines to small spinules at the side.

Behind these, on the side of the plate, is a fan of three small appressed spines. There are two stout suboral spines. The rest of the plate is bare or has a few small setose spinules. The madreporite is small, round, raised, and surrounded by enlarged paxillae. Internally, the interradial strut of the supporting plates from mouth to body wall is a solid triangular composite of plates hanging like an apron nearly to the actinal floor.

This species is known from North Carolina to the West Indies in about 35–355 fathoms.

MATERIAL EXAMINED.—Oregon II Station 10825 (1) [R=58 mm, r=15 mm, Rr=1:4].

Lophaster Verrill

Lophaster Verrill, 1878:214. [Type, by original designation, Solaster furcifer Duben and Koren.]

Sarkaster Ludwig, 1905:185. [Type, by original designation, S. validus Ludwig.]

Only one species is known from the tropical western Atlantic.