Capillaster crypticus, Meyer & Hoggett & Huang & Rouse & Vail & Yen & Messing, 2025

Meyer, David L., Hoggett, Anne, Huang, Danwei, Rouse, Greg W., Vail, Lyle, Yen, Ying-Hsuan & Messing, Charles G., 2025, A new species of the feather star Capillaster within C. multiradiatus species complex (Crinoidea, Comatulidae) in Palau and the Great Barrier Reef, Zootaxa 5647 (3), pp. 275-288 : 283-284

Capillaster crypticus , sp. nov., HOLOTYPE

Australian Museum J. 31555— Holotype PV560667 ( North Point , Lizard Island, Australia on daytime dive, II-10-83-1. Specimen found hidden in reef infrastructure and removed.

Australian Museum J. 31556— Paratype (VIII-24-76-9; between South Island and Seabird Islet, Lizard Island, GBR, Australia)

Australian Museum J. 31557— Paratype (II-11-83-1; Granite Bluff , Lizard Island, Australia)

Australian Museum J. 31558— Paratype PV560668 VII-3-83-9; Rib Reef , GBR, Australia )

Australian Museum J. 31559— Paratype (1976-1; Malakal , Palau)

Australian Museum J. 31560— Paratype PV560669 VII-3-83-10; Rib Reef , GBR, Australia )

Color in life (not from holotype). Ambulacral areas have white “frosting” like that in the brown form of C. multiradiatus ss, with white areas lateral to ambulacra having holes exposing darker pigmented tissue giving a sort of lacey pattern that appears to extend farther down sides of ambulacra than in C. multiradiatus . Abambulacral side: centrodorsal and cirri reddish brown to purple, with terminal claw and opposing spine white; division series and proximal brachials pink, red, or purple followed by short white bands, then a long reddish purple band, following are alternate red and white bands, the white bands extending for 4–5 brachials, the red bands mostly shorter, ~2 brachials in extent (some longer). Pinnules are generally white where the arm is white, although some short red bands can occur; pinnules can be solid red or banded red and white where the arm is red, or even mostly white.

Skeletal morphology, (holotype specimen, Fig. 5A–F ), 20 arms, centrodorsal subpentagonal, 4–5 mm in diameter with slight aboral concavity ( Fig. 5 C, D . First syzygy on unbranched arms at brachial 2+3, all brachials trapezoidal in aboral view, distal intersyzygial interval variable. Cirri ~ 19 in single row, ~14 cirrals with abambulacral spinose clumps ( Fig. 5 F ); Comb-bearing oral pinnules extend to ~P6, ~7–11 comb teeth confluent with exterior edge of pinnular, teeth triangular, curved inward ( Fig. 5 E ).

Figures

FIGURE 5. A–F. Holotype (II-10-83-1, North Point Reef, Lizard Island) A., Capillaster crypticus sp. nov. (II-10-83-1), live specimen, placed for photo. B., Whole specimen shown in A, fixed in ethanol, color faded in fixation, same specimen as in A. C., Centrodorsal of II-10-83-1, aboral view, SEM image. Note very slight concavity. D., same specimen as in B, SEM, tilted view, showing very slight concavity, cirral facets. E., oral pinnule, showing 7 comb teeth. F., cirrus, II-10-83-1 SEM.