A new record of sea star genus Henricia (Asteroidea: Spinulosida: Echinasteridae) from Jeju Island, Korea

Abstract

Identification of the specimens at the species level in genus Henricia Gray, 1840 has been reported to be dif­ ficult and complex by many authors (i.e. Fisher, 1911; Mortensen, 1927; D’yakonov, 1950; Clark and Downey, 1992), who described the morphology of the species dif­ ferently. Identification of the related species with similar morphological characteristics is not an easy task for the taxonomist. Long and slender arms as well as short arms occur in the same species (D’yakonov, 1950). Fisher (1911) observed that the species within the Henricia probably undergo the hybridization process, and that his work with this genus and species classification had to be considered temporary. Clark (1996) formally designated and made some revisions of Fisher’s Henricia species in order to differentiate it from another subspecies. In the work of D’yakonov (1950), he observed a great number of deviations and individuals of the intermediate form. It has been suggested that more taxonomic works in these species should be done especially in the North Pacific so that the disagreements of the literature in the past will be resolved (Lambert, 2000). Eernisse et al. (2010) observ­ ed that an extension of the study of small brooding spe­ cies of the Henricia to the far northern and northwestern Pacific is still needed. Henricia complex based mainly on morphological differences in the structure of the dor­ sal spines was further divided into species by Madsen (1987). He also revived some name of Henricia species such as Henricia spongiosa. Eight Henricia species, H. leviuscula, H. nipponica, H. ohshimai, H. pachyderma, H. pacifica, H. regularis, H. reniossa, and H. reticulata, were recorded from the Korean fauna (Shin and Rho, 1996; Shin, 2010; Shin and Ubagan, 2015a; 2015b).