Novodinia antillensis (A. H. Clark 1934)

Odinia antillensis A. H. Clark, 1934:1, pl. 1

This species has a small disc with a plane, abactinal surface and high, abrupt sides sloping sharply to the base of 15–17 long, thin arms. The surface of the disc is covered with small polygonal plates bearing 2–16 short spinelets. In the interradial areas of the disc, the plates form a solid bare channel which extends outward between the fused bases of the arms for a short distance. The arms are constricted at the base, and about the first 5–10 adambulacral and marginal plates are closely joined to those of the adjoining arms to form the bare channels mentioned above. Just beyond the constricted and partly fused basal area, the arms swell abruptly in the high and inflated genital area. This area, which tapers gradually distally, is about a quarter of the arm length or less. The genital region is plated with small polygonal plates, most bearing one or two small spinelets. The costae on the proximal half of the genital region are irregular and scarcely distinguishable from the general plating; they correspond to every third adambulacral plate and are mainly distinguishable by the band of large plates bearing single large spines across the arm.

On the distal half of the genital region, the costae are distinct and form conspicuous bands or ridges across the arm. Beyond the genital region, the costae are reduced to 3 or 4 plates just above every fourth adambulacral plate, each bearing a single long spine, and the dorsal portion of the arm is covered by a thin plateless tegument through which the ambulacral plates are clearly visible. Papulae are numerous between the plates of the disc and the genital region of the arms. The adambulacral plates are cylindrical and each bears a prominent furrow spine; proximally, these are very long and heavy, and the tip is expanded and may be forked or chisel shaped. Beyond the genital region, the adambulacral spines are long and acicular. The mouth plates are large and closely connected both radially and interradially, forming a nearly closed ring around the broad peristome. They bear about five very short spines. Small, crossed pedicellariae are abundant on all surfaces and cover the spines. The small, round madreporite is on the sloping side of the disc at the edge of the abactinal surface.

This species was previously known only from off Puerto Rico.

MATERIAL EXAMINED.–Oregon Stations: 4480 (1) 1408 (1) [R=304 mm (est.), r=10 mm, Rr=1:30]; 4574 (2) [R=100 mm, r=5 mm, Rr=1:20].

Midgardia Downey

Midgardia Downey, 1971d:421–426. [Type, by monotypy, M. xandaros Downey.]

Novodinia antillensis (A.H. Clark, 1934)

Odinia antillensis A.H. Clark, 1934:1–3, pl. 1.—Downey, 1973:99, pl. 47c,d.

MERISTICS.—Arms = 13–17, R = 80–250 mm, r = 4–18 mm, R/r = 14–20/1, length of gonadal region = 20–40 mm, length of longest arm spine = 9 mm.

DIAGNOSIS.—[80.c] Madrcporite rather small, raised; [100.e] madreporite with meandering gyri like a brain coral, surrounded by enlarged spine-bearing plates; [110.b] abactinal disc plates close, irregular, tumid, interradially a double row of flat, irregular, more or less bare plates extending from abactinal margin down beveled lateral side of disc and out a short distance on base of arms, which are basally fused; these are the more or less rectangular marginals of the first 4–6 adambulacrals, fused interradially; [130.b] abactinal disc plates bearing 4–10(2–16) small blunt spines; [170] number of arms 13–17; [205.c] gonadal region of arm 20–40 mm long, greatly inflated, arms tapering distally; [210.a,d,g] abactinal arm plates cruciform or rod-like, costae of gonadal region irregular, membrane between costae filled with flat, irregularly shaped plates, bare membrane beyond gonadal region; [220.a] abactinal arm plates imbricating in transverse bands; [240.b,c] many plates of costae bearing a long, slender acicular spine mounted on a tubercle; [280.a] marginal plates small; [290.d,e,h] about first 10 marginal plates flat, rectangular, rest subtriangular; [300.b] about first 10 marginals occurring on every adambulacral plate, on gonadal region proper, on every other adambulacral, and on rest of arm, about every 3–4 adambulacral; [310.a] first 10 marginals unarmed, rest bearing transverse group of 3 long slender acicular spines mounted on large, knob-like tubercles; [320.a] adambulacrals higher than long; [330.c] adambulacral plates discoidal; [350] number of furrow spines 1; [360.a] furrow spines tiny, acute; [370.b] furrow spines on distal prolongation of adambulacral; [390.c] subambulacral spines long, thick, truncate, mounted on tubercle; [400.a] about first 2–6 adambulacral plates united interradially by symphasis to those of adjoining arm, as are the corresponding marginals; [420.b] ambulacral plates small, delicate; [430.f] ambulacrals discoidal; [470.a] tubefeet moderately delicate; [480.c] mouth plates large; [490.a] mouth plate pear-shaped like a broadly rounded T, with lateral prolongation meeting adjoining mouth plates; [500] number of preoral spines per mouth plate 3–4; [510.a] preoral spines small, acicular; [520.b] preoral spines lateral; [530] number of lateral oral spines per mouth plate 1 or 2; [540.a] lateral oral spines small, acicular; [550.b] lateral oral spines lateral; [560] number of suboral spines per mouth plate 0; [620.a,b] pedicellariae on both surfaces of disc and arms; [630.a] all pedicellariae small.

COLOR.—Unknown.

TYPE.—USNM E3266 (holotype), Caroline Sta 47, W of Puerto Rico, 18°17.2′N, 67°25′W, 512–622 m.

MATERIAL EXAMINED.—Holotype; 1 specimen, USNM E12621, Oregon Sta 4574, 23°13′N, 87°50′W, 384 m; 1 specimen, USNM E12622, Oregon Sta 4480, 11°10′N, 65°07′W, 402 m; 1 specimen, USNM E12913, Oregon Sta 1408, 28°02′N, 90°15′W, 366 m.

DISTRIBUTION.—West Indies, Gulf of Mexico, 366–622 m.

Novodinia antillensis, the velcro sea star, is a species of starfish in the family Brisingidae. It is found in the deep sea in the tropical and subtropical western Atlantic Ocean, being quite common at a depth of around 500 m (1,640 ft) on the Mesoamerican Reef off Roatán, Honduras.