Paulasterias tyleri
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Paulasterias tyleri | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Echinodermata |
| Class: | Asteroidea |
| Family: | Paulasteriidae |
| Genus: | Paulasterias |
| Species: | P. tyleri |
| Binomial name | |
| Paulasterias tyleri Mah et al., 2015[1] | |
Paulasterias tyleri is a species of starfish in the family Paulasteriidae. It is found in deep water at hydrothermal vents in the Antarctic.[2] It is the type species of the newly erected genus Paulasterias, the only other member of the genus being Paulasterias mcclaini.
Paulasterias tyleri was discovered during a deep sea research cruise organized by the National Oceanography Centre. It was the first starfish to be found living as part of a hydrothermal vent community and was not closely related to any known starfish species so that it was placed in a new family. Its nearest living relative lives in the Ross Sea on the other side of the Antarctic continent some two thousand miles away.[3]
Description
Paulasterias tyleri is a seven-armed starfish and is whitish or pale pink. It has a thick fleshy skin on the aboral (upper) surface, with spongy tissue underneath it. The skin is rough, being clad with short spines.[4]