Henricia insignis Clark & Jewett, 2010, sp. nov.

Henricia insignis sp. nov.

Figures 65–70

Henricia leviuscula multispina Fisher, 1911: 286 (pars).

Henricia leviuscula spiculifera (Clark) Verrill, 1914: 232 (pars), non Cribrella spiculifera H. L. Clark, 1901.

Type locality: Alaska, Aleutian Islands, Rat Islands, Kiska Island, Vega Bay (51º 54.869 N, 177º 26.865 E), 14 m (AKALE 07-0017).

Type material: Holotype: LACM 2007-118.1 (leg. R. N. Clark, 29 June, 2007). 1 Paratype, LACM 1994- 129.002, Alaska, Aleutian Islands, Andreanof Islands, S of Tanaga Island (51º 37.50 N, 178º 19.48 W) (leg. William C. Flerx, 5 July, 1994; trawled R/V Pacific Knight, 211 m) (95-941-111); 1 Paratype, USNM 1139296, Alaska, Aleutian Islands, Andreanof Islands, S of Kanaga Pass (51º 47.08 N, 177º 39.40 W) (leg. R. N. Clark, 4 July, 1994; trawled R/V Ves te r aa l en, 140 m) (NMFS 94-941-126); 1 RNC E51, Alaska, Aleutian Islands, Andreanof Islands, S of Kanaga Pass (51º 47.08 N, 177º 39.40 W) (leg. R. N. Clark, 4 July, 1994; trawled R/V Vesteraalen, 140 m) (NMFS 94-941-126).

Additional material: 1, RNC E66, Alaska, Aleutian Islands, Andreanof Islands, Petrel Bank (52º 09.58 N, 179º 42.62 E) (leg. R. N. Clark, 11 July, 1994; trawled R/V Vesteraalen, 94 m) (NMFS 94-941-153). Photos: Aleutian Islands, Umak Island, Umak Bight (52º 08.454 N, 175º 58.282 W) (leg. Héloïse Chenelot, 14 July, 2007; scuba, 8 m) (AKALE 07-0013); Aleutian Islands, Tanaga Island, Cape Amagalik (51º 42.615 N, 178º 06.201 W) (leg. Héloïse Chenelot, 7 July, 2007; scuba, 12 m) (AKALE 07-DD0003); Aleutian Islands, Amchitka Island (leg. Héloïse Chenelot, 12 July, 2004; scuba 12 m).

Diagnosis: Relatively small star; R to 7 cm; disc small, rays relatively stout to moderately long R:r 4.5– 5.8; rays with three rather faint, fine, longitudinal lines of close-set plates; skeleton thin, abactinal plates small, rounded, bearing 17–35 spinelets. Length inferomarginals about 1.5 to 2 times width. Adambulacrals, with 30–40+ spines. Color, uniformly crimson.

Description: Relatively small, fairly soft star Holotype (Figs. 65–69), R 6 cm, r 1.1 cm, R:r 5.4 R:r range 4.1 –6.8; disc small, rays relatively stout to moderately long, tapering to slender, tips. Abactinal plates small, forming a fine-meshed reticulum, some plates very close set or fused into linear series, lacking papular areas between, forming three fine, lines on rays (Fig. 67; paxillae mostly round, bearing (usually) 17–35 (exceptionally up to nearly 50) spinelets tipped with 3–5 very sharp thorns; papular areas small, with 1–2 papulae; madreporite very small, circular, with irregular, radially spinose ridges, located closer to the anus than to the edge of the disc. Superomarginals about three times as large as adjacent actinolateral plates, and bearing about 35–40 thorn tipped spinelets; inferomarginal plates about twice (or less) as high as long, only slightly (+/- 1/3) larger than superomarginals, and bearing 43–56 thorn tipped spinelets; intermarginal plates irregular at base of rays, extending along rays in two series, about 60% and 40% of R, respectively. Adambulacrals (Fig. 68) with a single small spine deep in the furrow and 35–45 spines on the actinal surface, proximal 5–8 very large, thick, blunt, often somewhat compressed followed by 37–40+ much smaller, finer spines in a group, or 4–5 rows. Oral plates (Fig. 69) with 5 thick, blunt marginal and 20–25 suboral spines. Color (Fig. 70) in life uniformly crimson.

Distribution: Henricia insignis is found throughout the central Aleutians, from the Islands of Four Mountains, Chuginadak Island (52º 48.289 N, 169º 42.526 W) (AKALE06-0010) to Rat Islands, Kiska Island (51º 54.869 N, 177º26.865’E) (AKALE07-0017) at depths of 0– 210 m.

Habitat: Boulders and bedrock in shallow water (<20 m), covered with the thick encrusting coralline red algae Clathromorphum. In deeper waters, it is found on sand and cobble bottoms dominated by sponges and hydrocorals.

Etymology: The name is from the Latin and means remarkable, in reference to its brilliant red coloration.

Remarks: As with its congeners Henricia lineata and H.uluudax, H.insignis was thought by earlier workers (Fisher, 1911, Verrill, 1914) to be a variety or hybrid of H. multispina (see remarks under H. lineata). This species appears to be one of the varieties mentioned by Fisher (1911:288).

Henricia insignis may be distinguished from the similar H. lineata by 1) thinner skeleton, uniformly red coloration and more sharply tapering rays; 2) lack of distinctive light colored radial stripes on rays; 3) more open reticulation; 4) two rows of intermarginal plates, compared to one row in H. lineata; and 5) much more numerous adambulacral spines 35–45+ opposed to 14–17 in H. lineata. The two species are frequently found in the same habitat.

Henricia insignis superficially resembles H. uluudax, but differes in 1) much thinner skeleton; 2) smaller abactinal plates, bearing much fewer spinules, 17–35 compared to 37–60; and 3) much more numerous adambulacral spines 35–45+ opposed to 19–25 in H. uluudax.

From H. multispina it may be distinguished by 1) the relatively shorter rays (R:r 4.5 to 5.8 compared to 5.8–7.2 for H. multispina; 2) fewer abactinal spinules 17–35 opposed to 50–100+ in H. multispina; 3) intermarginal plates extending in two series, 40–60 % of R, in H. multispina the intermarginals absent, or restricted to a few irregular plates at base of rays; 4) shorter inferomarginal plates, length 1.5 to 2 times width, compared to 2.5 to 3 times in H. multispina; and 5) coloration, brilliant red in H. insignis, lavender to white in H. multispina (typically lavender on disc and upper portion of rays, fading to white on ray extremities). The adambulacral spine numbers are very similar, though H. insignis usually has a few more.