Circeaster pullus Mah 2006

Figure 4 B, C

Mah 2006: 940.

Feeding comments. Circeaster pullus is a widely occurring Pacific species, described from the Hawaiian Islands by Mah (2006), who also documented this species feeding on unidentified octocoral/gorgonian skeletons (Mah 2006: 948-499). Additional images of C. pullus include (P5-690-d2-11522, P5-690-d5-3819; P5-690-d5-3835) which show the oral side of a goniasterid crawling along the branches of an apparent isidid octocoral (Figs 4 B, C).

One image (P5-280-hi8-05129) shows what appears to be C. pullus with its disk swollen and extended above the plane of the arms and marginal plate series (Fig. 4 B) feeding on an isidid octocoral. The animal appears to be positioned above rocks with octocorals beneath it, suggesting predation. The swollen disk in C. pullu s is presumably filled with water and resembles the same type of swollen disk observed in other goniasterids such as Ceramaster granularis (Gale et al. 2013) .

Video observations. Keaholu Pt., Big Island: P5-280-hi8-05129. 20.6501, -156.04301, 550 m. Twin Banks, NWHI: P5-690-d5-11522, P5-690-d5-03835, P5-690-d5-03819. 23.049283, -163.1613, 1430–1433 m.