Calliaster hystrix
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Calliaster hystrix | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Echinodermata |
| Class: | Asteroidea |
| Order: | Valvatida |
| Family: | Goniasteridae |
| Genus: | Calliaster |
| Species: | C. hystrix |
| Binomial name | |
| Calliaster hystrix Mah, 2026 | |
Calliaster hystrix is a species of sea star in the family Goniasteridae found off New Caledonia and in the Coral Sea.[1]
The species epithet hystrix is derived from the Greek for "porcupine", alluding to the many marginal spines present on this species.[1]
Taxonomy and systematics
This species is distinguished from the Australian Calliaster erucaradiatus by the presence of multiple bivalve pedicellariae on nearly every actinal plate, significantly fewer spines on the interradial abactinal regions, and by having 8 to 11 furrow spines (versus 6 to 7 in C. erucaradiatus). It is similar to Calliaster kanak in sharing numerous abutted supermarginal plates and prominent spines but differs in displaying numerous bivalve pedicellariae, which appear to be absent in C. kanak. The spination on the superomarginal and inferomarginal plates is also more serial in C. hystrix than in C. kanak.[1]