Calliaster kanak
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| Calliaster kanak | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Echinodermata |
| Class: | Asteroidea |
| Order: | Valvatida |
| Family: | Goniasteridae |
| Genus: | Calliaster |
| Species: | C. kanak |
| Binomial name | |
| Calliaster kanak Mah, 2026 | |
Calliaster kanak is a species of sea star in the family Goniasteridae found off New Caledonia and New Zealand.[1]
Taxonomy and systematics
This species was previously misidentified as Calliaster erucaradiatus from New Zealand and later as Calliaster elegans. It is distinguished from C. erucaradiatus by its marginal spines being in an irregular arrangement, having only one spine on all superomarginal plates, having strongly convex superomarginal plates, and possessing 5 to 6 furrow spines. It is distinguished from C. elegans primarily by the presence of a single, irregularly arranged and prominent, pointed spine on both superomarginal and inferomarginal series, whereas C. elegans has 3 to 4 pointed spines on inferomarginal plates and relatively short conical spines on the superomarginal plate surface, both in series.[1]