Circeaster mandibulum
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Circeaster mandibulum | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Echinodermata |
| Class: | Asteroidea |
| Order: | Valvatida |
| Family: | Goniasteridae |
| Genus: | Circeaster |
| Species: | C. mandibulum |
| Binomial name | |
| Circeaster mandibulum Mah, 2026 | |
Circeaster mandibulum is a species of deep-sea sea star in the family Goniasteridae found in New Caledonia.[1]
The species epithet mandibulum is Latin for "jaw", alluding to the pedicellariae present on the adambulacral plates.[1]
Taxonomy
it is distinguished from Circeaster loisetteae by having 8 to 15 flattened, blade-like furrow spines in a palmate arrangement (versus 7 to 8 spines that are quadrate in cross-section in C. loisetteae) and by having abutted superomarginal plates only at the distalmost tip of the arm (versus abutted superomarginals beginning at the arm base adjacent to the disk in C. loisetteae).[1]
It is distinguished from Circeaster pullus, which possesses bivalve pedicellariae with nearly smooth valves and smooth, blunt furrow spines, whereas C. mandibulum lacks bivalve pedicellariae and has roughened, bristle-like furrow spine tips. It shows closer resemblance to Circeaster sandrae in lacking bivalve pedicellariae, but differs by having 8 to 15 triangular to quadrate furrow spines with roughened tips, compared to C. sandrae, which has 4 to 8 flattened, blunt, and smooth furrow spines.[1]