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The Hemieuryalidae are a family of echinoderms belonging to the order Amphilepidida, the species were long considered rare and difficult to obtain.
Knowledge of these starfish was previously based almost entirely on the original descriptions of the species, in this case from 1867.
In 2015, the "Redescription of Hemieuryale pustulata by Martens, 1867 (Echinodermata, Ophiuroidea) based on Brazilian specimens, with notes on systematics and habitat affiliation" was published, which can be found under the "Further links".
Hemieuryale pustulata has five arms, which are about 4 to 7 times as long as the pentagonal disk diameter, the body disk is covered with heavily calcified scales.
Hemieuryale pustulata has a similar color to its host, the horn coral Nicella guadalupensis (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1860), and is reddish-brown.
The coloration can vary from uniform reddish-brown, reddish-brown with white spots to almost completely white with reddish-brown areas
This spotted pattern is extremely variable.
Juvenile starfish are usually completely reddish-brown in color (like coral hosts).
In a survey of 53 gorgonians, 251 starfish were counted, whereby juveniles, which are heavily camouflaged, were difficult to recognize on the gorgonians. The number of individuals was between one and 30 per gorgonian.
Literature reference:
Anne Isabelley Gondim, Thelma Lúcia Dias, Pereira Dias, Martin Lindsey, Christoffersen & Sabine Stör
Redescription of Hemieuryale pustulata von Martens, 1867 (Echinodermata,Ophiuroidea) based on Brazilian specimens, with notes on systematics and habitat association
http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3925.3.2
http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:5DE2AE8E-F07D-4892-AF6F-417D3D6597E4
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
Knowledge of these starfish was previously based almost entirely on the original descriptions of the species, in this case from 1867.
In 2015, the "Redescription of Hemieuryale pustulata by Martens, 1867 (Echinodermata, Ophiuroidea) based on Brazilian specimens, with notes on systematics and habitat affiliation" was published, which can be found under the "Further links".
Hemieuryale pustulata has five arms, which are about 4 to 7 times as long as the pentagonal disk diameter, the body disk is covered with heavily calcified scales.
Hemieuryale pustulata has a similar color to its host, the horn coral Nicella guadalupensis (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1860), and is reddish-brown.
The coloration can vary from uniform reddish-brown, reddish-brown with white spots to almost completely white with reddish-brown areas
This spotted pattern is extremely variable.
Juvenile starfish are usually completely reddish-brown in color (like coral hosts).
In a survey of 53 gorgonians, 251 starfish were counted, whereby juveniles, which are heavily camouflaged, were difficult to recognize on the gorgonians. The number of individuals was between one and 30 per gorgonian.
Literature reference:
Anne Isabelley Gondim, Thelma Lúcia Dias, Pereira Dias, Martin Lindsey, Christoffersen & Sabine Stör
Redescription of Hemieuryale pustulata von Martens, 1867 (Echinodermata,Ophiuroidea) based on Brazilian specimens, with notes on systematics and habitat association
http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3925.3.2
http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:5DE2AE8E-F07D-4892-AF6F-417D3D6597E4
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
