Family Odontasteridae

Odontaster Verrill, 1880

Odontaster benhami (Mortensen)

• Peridontaster benhami Mortensen, Th. 1925. Vid. Medd. dansk. naturh. For. 79, p. 288–91, Fig. 8, Pl. XII, 12–13. Peridontaster benhami, Fell, H.B. Zoo. Pubs V.U.C. 18, p. 7, 1952.

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Material Examined: Twelve individuals from archibenthal stations, as follows: 250–300 fathoms, Canyon B, off east Otago, Dom. Mus. Station B.S. 191, 8 specimens; 250–300, Cook Strait, VUZ Station 22, 1 specimen; 150 fathoms, Cook Strait, VUZ Stations 98 (2 juvenile specimens) and 99 (1 juvenile.)

Remarks: Other material seen includes 7 specimens from VUZ Station 55, on the Cook Strait shelf, 40–100 fathoms. Mortensen's holotype was taken from 20 fathoms in Foveaux Strait, and the species has otherwise been reported once, namely from 40 fathoms off east Canterbury (Fell, 1952, p. 7).

As Fisher (1940) was led to conclude that Peridontaster Koehler is a synonym of Odontaster Verrill the nomenclature of the species is here amended accordingly.