Bothriaster primigenius
©Anne: Bothriaster primigenius from under rubble at North Point, Lizard Island. Longest radius is 3.5 cm.
©Anne: Bothriaster primigenius from under rubble at North Point, Lizard Island. Longest radius is 3.5 cm.
©Anne: Bothriaster primigenius from under rubble at North Point, Lizard Island. Longest radius is 3.5 cm.
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Echinodermata
Class
Asteroidea
Order
Valvatida
Family
Oreasteridae
Genus
Bothriaster
Species
Bothriaster primigenius
Colours
Distinguishing features
The specimen in the photo above is tentatively identified as Bothriaster primigenius by Loisette Marsh of the Western Australian Museum on the basis of body shape, smooth surface and distinct pits in each interradius. Coleman (2007) notes that the colour of this species is variable but a star-shaped pattern in the centre of the disc is consistent.
Bothriaster primigenius was recorded in Australia for the first time by Rowe and Gates (1995) from material off Broadhurst Reef and Townsville in 27-45 metres depth. If the photograph from North Point above is correctly identified, it represents the first record of this species from a shallower reef habitat in Australia.
Size
- Up to 4.5 cm (longest radius)
Depth range
- Depth range data is not yet available.
Synonyms
Distribution
©Atlas of Living Australia: Australian distribution
Web resources
References
- Coleman, N. (2007). Sea Stars: Echinoderms of the Asia/Indo-Pacific Neville Coleman's Underwater Geographic, Springwood, Qld. Australia.
- Rowe, F.W.E. and J. Gates (1995). Echinodermata in: Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Vol. 33, xiii, 510 pp. Wells, A. (Ed.). CSIRO, Melbourne, Australia.
- Yamaguchi, M. (1975). Coral-reef asteroids of Guam. Biotropica, 7(1): 1-23. LIRS catalog number 90343.