The Asterinid Sea Stars of Tasmania
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PAPERS AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF TASMANIA. VOLUME 104 [Manuscript received 4 September 1969 THE ASTERINID SEA STARS OF TASMANIA By A. J. DARTNALL The Tasmanian Museum, Hobart (With one plate and one table) SUMMARY Remarks: No recent material of the species from The ten species of sea stars of the family Tasmania has been seen by this author. Asterinidae occurring in Tasmania are considered. Asterina scobinata Livingstone, 1933 Synonymies, locality lists and distributional data A. A. Livingstone, 1933. Rec. Austr. Mus. vol. 19, are given. Patiriella gunnii (Gray) is redescribed no. 1, p. 1, PI. 5, figs 9-12. 15. and lectotypes designated. Some account of characters distinguishing P. gunnii and Patiriella M~terial examined: A total of twenty-four brevispina H. L. Clark is provided. A key to the speCImens. species is presented and some account of the zoo Localities: Boat Harbour; Greens Beach' Cape geography of the Tasmanian species given, atten Portland; Maria Island; Dunalley; Eagiehawk tion being drawn to the existence of pairs of Neck; Carlton; Blackmans Bay, Kingston; Variety sibling species in the group. Bay, Bruny Island; Bond Bay, Port Davey. Habitat: Under rocks and crevices in the lower INTRODUCTION littoral zone. Ten species of three genera of the sea star Distribution: Tasmania and Victoria. Extension family Asterinidae are known from the littoral of the known range to Victoria has been reported and shallow waters around Tasmania. In this in another place (Dartnall, in press). paper abbreviated synonymies are given as neces sary and details of localities, habitat and distri Genus PATIRIELLA Verrill, 1913 bution provided. In one case (viz. Patiriella gunnii (Gray» it has been found necessary to redescribe , regularis' group the species. A key to the Asterinidae has been Patiriella regularis (Verrill, 1867) constructed and is presented here. Finally the zoogeography of the Tasmanian asterinids is con Restricted synonymy sidered. Asterina regularis Verrill, 1867. Trans. Conn. Acad., vol. 1, p. 250. Family ASTERINIDAE Patiriella regularis Verrill, 1913. Amer. Jour, Genus ASTERINA Nardo, 1834 Sci., ser. 4, vol. 35, p, 480, Asterina atyphoida H. L. Clark, 1916 Patiriella mimica Livingstone, 1933. Ree. Austr. Mus. Sydney vol. 19. H. L. Clark, 1916. Endeavour Rept, p. 57; PI. 17, figs 1, 2. Asterina regularis Fell, 1959. Tuatara, vol. 7. (3), p. 127-142. Material examined: A total of three specimens. Patiriella regularis Dartnall, 1969. Proc. Roy. Localities: Greens Beach, near the mouth of the Soc. Tasm. vol. 103, p. 54. estuary of the River Tamar. Material examined: A total of 420 specimens. Habitat: Under rocks and in crevices. Low water to 40 metres, perhaps found at greater Localities: Oyster Cove, Kettering; Coningham; depths (Shepherd, 1968), Margate; Blackmans Bay, Kingston; Tinderbox; Taroona; Sandy Bay, Hobart; Wrest Point, Hobart; Distribution: The north coast of Tasmania, Hobart wharves; Ralphs Bay; Roches Beach; Victoria and South Australia. Midway Point; Slopen Main; Variety Bay, Bruny Asterina inopinata Livingstone, 1933 Island. A. A. Livingstone, 1933. Rec. Austr. Mus. vol. 19, Habitat: From the mid-littoral to 15 metres on no. 1, p. 3, PI. 5, figs 1-8. 14. rock, sand and mUd. Habitat: Very shallow water (H. L. Clark, Distribution: New Zealand and S.E. Tasmania 1946) . martnall, 1969). Distribution: S.E. Australia from New South Remarks: Evidence demonstrating that this Wales to Northern Tasmania. species may have been imported into Tasmania 73 74 THE ASTERINID SEA STARS OF TASMANIA with cargoes of commercial oysters was presented Remarks: This author has now examined in a previous paper (Dartnall, 1969). In the ~ame material from South Africa and from the New paper it was suggested that Patiriella mimica Guinea archipelago. Even though this material (Livingstone) is a synonym of Patiriella regularis. has been attributed to Patiriella exigua on external Patiriella calcar (Lamarck, 1816) morphology some differences are observable. South African material, for instance, appears to Restricted synonymy attain a larger size than Australian P. exigua. Asterias calcar Lamarck, 1816. Anim. sans Vert., More consistent sampling throughout the Indo vol. 2, p. 557. Pacific area will be needed to examine the pro Asterina calcar Gray, 1840. Ann. Mag. Nat. position that the species known as Patiriella Hist., vol. 6, p. 290. exigua is a polymorphic assemblage of forms. Patiriella calcar Verrill, 1913. Amer. JOlLr. Sci., Patiriella vivipara Dartnall, 1969 ser. 4, vol. 35, p. 484; H. L. Clark, 1946. Dartnall, 1969. Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W. 93 (3f: Carnegie Institution of Washington. Publi 294-196, pI. XXIX cation 566, p. 134. Localities: Roches Beach; Midway Point; Material examined: A total of 199 specimens. Lewisham; Tesselated Pavement; Blowhole, Eagle Localities: Trial Harbour; Granville Harbour; hawk Neck. Boat Harbour; Wynyard; Cape Portland; Plinders Island; Bay of Fires; Binnalong Bay; 2 miles Habitat: Mid-littoral, gently sloping rocky north of Scamander; Shelly Beach, Orford; shores. Dodges Ferry; Roches Beach; Primrose Sands; Distribution: Restricted to S.E. Tasmania. Taroona; Coningham; Adventure Bay, Bruny Remarks: It is suggested that Patiriella vivipara Island; Bond Bay, Port Davey. is a sibling species to Patiriella exigua. Habitat: Mid-littoral to 10 metres. Rocky , gunnii' group shores and rock pools. Patiriella gunni (Gray, 1840) Distribution: Tasmania, south and east coasts of Australia from South Australia to Queensland. Restricted synonymy Remarks: H. L. Clark (946) employed the Asterina gunnii Gray, 1840. Ann. Mag. Nat. absence of suboral spines in this species to dis Hist., vol. 6, p. 289. tinguish it from other members of the genus. '1 he Patiriella gunnii Verrill, 1913. Amer. Jour. Sci., presence or absence of suboral spines is r.ot a ser. 4, vol. 35; p. 484; H. L. Clark, 1946. reliable characteristic of Tasmanian material and Carnegie Institution of Washington. Publi tends, also, to impute close relationships between cation 566, p. 135. P. calcar and the six-rayed' gunnii' forms. Patiriella yunnii A. M. Clark, 1966. Mem. Nat. The distribution of suboral spines in a .>ample of Mus. Viet., No. 27, p. 320; Shepherd, 1968. 199 specimens of Tasmanian Patiriella calcar is Rec. S. Aust. MUS., vol. 15 (4), p. 747. expressed in Table 1. The genitive of modern patronymics would give , exigua' group , gunni' as the specific name of this species. No Patiriella exigua (Lamarck, 1816) evidence has been given of typographical errors, lapsus calami or errors of transcription. Thus the Restricted synonymy rulings concerning customary usage must apply Asterias exigua Lamarck, 1816. Anim. sans and' gunnii' retained (see Article 19 and Summary Vert., vol. 2, p. 554. 8 of Opinions Rendered, Schenk and McMasters, Asterina exigua Perrier, 1876. Arch Zool Exp., 1936) . vol. 5, p. 222. Material examined: A total of seventeen Tas Patiriella exigua Verrill, 1913. Amer. Jour. manian specimens. Sci., ser. 4, vol. 35, p. 484; H. L. Clark, Localities: Greens Beach; Cape Portland; 1946. Carnegie Institution of Washington. Maria Island; Primrose Sands; Variety Bay, Bruny Publication 566, p. 136. Island. Material examined: A total of 257 specimens. Habitat: Mid- and lower-littoral to 30 metres, Localities: Trial Harbour; Granville Harbour; under rocks and ledges. Marrawah; Rocky Cape; Boat Harbour; Greens Distribution: The north and east coasts of Tas Beach, East Sandy Cape; Cape Portland, Swan mania, and the south and east coasts of Australia Island; Flinders Island; Shelly Beach, Orford; from Western Australia to New South Wales. Maria Island; Port Arthur; Nubeena; Murdunna; Also recorded from Lord Howe Island. Dunalley; Bellerive; Hobart; Blackmans Bay, Kingston; Coningham; Policemans Point; Simp Remarks: Gray's 0840, 1866) description of 'Asterina yunnii' from material collected by R. C. sons Bay, Bruny Island; Roaring Beach, Port Gunn in Van Diemens Land was concise and barely Davey. informative. Preserved material of ' gunnii' Habitat: Upper and mid-littoral zones. Often fascies (I.e., of Patiriella gunnii and Patiriella found associated with the alga Hormosira banksii. brevispina H. L. Clark) has proven difficult to Distribution: Tasmania, south and eastern distinguish. Through the offices of Miss A. M. Australia, Lord Howe Island. Said to occur Clark, the Director and Trustees of the British throughout the Indo-Pacific region. Museum (Natural History) made available to me A. ;r. DARTNALL 75 specimens, determined by Gray, to redescribe the Diagnosis: A flattened, six-rayed species of species. Patiriella closely related to Patiriella brevispina A single specimen from a group of four .from H. L. Clark. In Tasmanian material paired sub Sandy Bay, Hobart Town and registered in 1840 ambulacral spines distinguish P. gunnii from P. is designated the lectotype and three specimens brevispina which most often has single sub from a series collected at George Town, Northern ambulacral spines. A discussion of specific Tasmania and registered in 1849, paralectotypes. characteristics is given in a following section of this account. Lectotype: British Museum Reg. No. 40.3.9.-10. Sandy, Bay, Hobart Town (type locality). Pre Patiriella brevispina H. L. Clark, 1938 sented by R. C. Gunn. H. L. Clark, 1938. Mem. Mus. Comp, Zool., vol. 55, Pamlectotypes: Three specimens. British p. 166, pI. 22, figs 2, 3 Mmeum Reg. Nos 49.11.19.-10-14-33. George Town, Material examined: A total of twelve Tasmanian Tasmania. Presented by R. C. Gunn. specimens. Description of lectotype: Plate I, figs (i) and Localities: Burnie; Greens Beach; Cape Port Oil-specimen 40.3.9.-10; R = 22 mm; r = 16 mm; land; Flinders Island. r:R = 1:1.37; vb = 6 mm. Habitat: Mid- and lower-littoral to 10 metres A six-rayed, asterinid sea star, markedly fiattened, on a rock substrate. Most often found under rocks. the actinal surface plain and with a very acute Distribution: The north coast of Tasmania and marginal angle. the coasts of Western Australia, South Australia The abactinal surface is paved with imbricating Victoria, New South Wales and Southern Queens~ plates of two kinds.