Study On The Taxonomy And Zoogeography Of The Family Goniasteridae And Echinasteridae(Echioodermata:Asteroidea) From Chinese Waters

The present study deals with the less investigated Chinese goniasterid andechinasterid fauna based on the specimens deposited in the Marine BiologicalMuseum, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The results of taxonomic and zoogeographicstudies are presented.A total of31species belonging to2families and17genera are reported here.19species of goniasterid in14genera are described, including3genera and3species arethe first records from Chinese waters;12species of echinasterid in3genera aredescribed, including6species are the first records from Chinese waters. For eachgenus and species involved, identification key, morphological description and figuresare provided, the habitats and geographic distribution are listed, and the differenceswith related species and present taxonomic problems are remarked.Fromia and Neoferdina are supported as members of the Goniasteridae rather thanas Ophidiasteridae. Our study supports that all Chinese specimens of Stellasterrepresent a single species. This study also presents solutions to accurate distinguishthe young specimens of Ogmaster from Anthenoides. The taxonomic status ofMetrodira that remains questionable is discussed.Preliminary study on the zoogeographic characteristics shows that all thegoniasterid species of the China seas are warm water species, which are confined totropical and subtropical waters. Among them7species are distributed in the EastChina Sea,13species in the South China Sea and9species in Taiwan; Of theechinasterids,4species distributed in the Yellow Sea,4species in the East China Sea,4species in the South China Sea and2species in Taiwan. Among them Henriciamainly live in cold to temperate waters.The name list of species recorded from Chinese waters is given below: thosenames marked with an asterisk “*” are recorded for the first time from Chinese waters,and species marked with an “▲” are only recorded from Taiwan. Family Goniasteridae Forbes,1841(1) Genus Anthenoides Perrier,18811. Anthenoides laevigatus Liao&Clark,19892. Anthenoides tenuis Liao&Clark,1989(2) Genus Astrothaum Fisher,19133. Astrothauma euphylacteum Fisher,1913(3) Genus Calliaster Gray,18404. Calliaster childreni Gray,18405. Calliaster quadrispinus Liao,1989(4) Genus Calliderma Gray,18476. Calliderma emma Gray,1847(5) Genus Ceramaster Verrill,18997. Ceramaster misakiensis (Goto,1914)*(6) Genus Fromia Gray,18408. Fromia milleporella (Lamarck,1816)9. Fromia monilis (Perrier,1869)▲(7) Genus Mediaster Stimpson,185710. Mediaster arcuatus (Sladen,1889)▲11. Mediaster brachiatus Goto,1914▲(8) Genus Neoferdina Livingstone,193112. Neoferdina cumingi (Gray,1840)(9) Genus Nymphaster Sladen,188913. Nymphaster arthrocnemis Fisher,1913* (10) Genus Ogmaster von Martens,186514. Ogmaster capella (Müller&Troschel,1842)(11) Genus Pontioceramus Fisher,191115. Pontioceramus grandis Fisher,1911*(12) Genus Rosaster Perrier,189416. Rosaster attenuatus Liao,198417. Rosaster symbolicus (Sladen,1889)(13) Genus Stellaster Gray,184018. Stellaster equestris (Retzius,1805)(14) Genus Stellasteropsis Dollfus,193619. Stellasteropsis colubrinus Macan,1938▲Family Echinasteridae Verrill,1870(15) Genus Echinaster Müller&Troschel,184020. Echinaster callosus Marenzeller,1895▲21. Echinaster luzonicus (Gray,1840)22. Echinaster stereosomus Fisher,1913(16) Genus Henricia Gray,184023. Henricia arcystata Fisher,1917*24. Henricia aspera robusta Djakonov,194925. Henricia densispina (Sladen,1879)*26. Henricia exigua Hayashi,1940*27. Henricia leviuscula leviuscula (Stimpson,1857)28. Henricia leviuscula spiculifera (Clark,1901)29. Henricia ohshimai Hayashi,1935* 30. Henricia pacifica Hayashi,1940*31. Henricia regularis Hayashi,1940*(17) Genus Metrodira Gray,184032. Metrodira subulata Gray,1840...