A taxonomic review of the genus Astrocharis Koehler (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea: Asteroschematidae), with a description of a new species

Masanori Okanishi; Toshihiko Fujita

doi:10.2108/zsj.28.148

A taxonomic review of the genus Astrocharis Koehler (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea: Asteroschematidae), with a description of a new species

Zoolog Sci. 2011 Feb;28(2):148-57. doi: 10.2108/zsj.28.148.

Authors

Masanori Okanishi¹, Toshihiko Fujita

Affiliation

¹ Department of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan. okanishi@kahaku.go.jp

PMID: 21303207
DOI: 10.2108/zsj.28.148

Abstract

A revision of the genus Astrocharis Koehler (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea: Asteroschematidae) is based on 41 specimens, including three syntypes of Astrocharis virgo Koehler, one syntype of Astrocharis ijimai Matsumoto and the holotype of Astrocharis gracilis Mortensen. Astrocharis gracilis is a junior subjective synonym of A. ijimai. A. virgo and A. ijimai are redescribed. A new species, Astrocharis monospinosa is described from southwestern Japan. A tabular key to the three species of the genus Astrocharis is provided.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Demography
Japan
Pacific Ocean
Starfish / anatomy & histology*
Starfish / classification*