Sea-Stars (Echinodermata: Asteroidea) from "Eltanin" Cruise 26, with a Review of the New Zealand Asteroid Fauna
Family Solasteridae Perrier, 1884 — Crossaster Müller and Troschel, 1840
Family Solasteridae Perrier, 1884
Crossaster Müller and Troschel, 1840
Crossaster japonicus (Fisher) (Pl 2, g, h)
Solaster japonicus Fisher, 1911, p. 330.
Crossaster multispinus Clark, H. L., 1916, p. 66, pl. 18, figs. 5, 6.
Crossaster japonicus Djakonov, 1950, p. 74, fig. 25; Fell, 1958, p. 17, pl. 2, fig. F; McKnight, 1967, p. 302.
Material Examined:
One specimen, Sta. 1818.
Size:
R/r = 31/12 mm.
Remarks:
The present specimen has 11 arms (as opposed to 10 in the type) and there are more numerous spines in the actinal paxillae but otherwise it agrees well with earlier descriptions.
Colour:
Disc white, arms blue-grey basally and for half their length, spines and arm tips white.
Geographical Distribution
This species is widely distributed and is known from Eastern Siberia, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
Depth Range:
90–600 m., possibly even deeper, ?2090 m. (Djakonov, 1950, p. 74).
Type Locality:
Sado Island, Sea of Japan; 416–453 m.
Location of Type:
United States National Museum.