Revista de Biología Tropical
versão On-line ISSN 0034-7744versão impressa ISSN 0034-7744
Resumo
ESTEBAN-VAZQUEZ, Brenda-Lizbeth; DE-LOS-PALOS-PENA, Magdalena; SOLIS-MARIN, Francisco-Alonso e LAGUARDA-FIGUERAS, Alfredo. Morphology of endoskeleton and spination in the sea star Midgardia xandaros (Brisingida: Brisingidae) from the Gulf of Mexico. Rev. biol. trop [online]. 2021, vol.69, suppl.1, pp.404-422. ISSN 0034-7744. http://dx.doi.org/10.15517/rbt.v69isuppl.1.46381.
Introduction:
The deep-sea asteroid species of Brisingida have a nearly global distribution but have remained poorly understood due to their deep bathymetric distributions and fragile skeletons.
Objective:
To describe the external and internal morphology of Midgardia xandaros including the skeletal arrangement, through multifocal and SEM techniques.
Methods:
We examined a total of 21 specimens, including 27 arm fragments, from the Gulf of Mexico and Honduras. Two specimens were dissected.
Results:
Detailed descriptions of pedicellariae, abactinal, intercostal, inferomarginal, adambulacral, ambulacral, odontophore, and oral ossicles, and their spines are provided, emphasizing the articulations and muscle attachments. C-shaped valves pedicellariae and small pedicellariae valves with shorter denticulation areas were recognized.
Conclusions:
The morphological description of M. xandaros is expanded, providing the most extensive description of abactinal, first adambulacral, first and subsequent inferomarginal ossicles, abactinal spines, and C-shaped, crossed pedicellariae, as well as the distal arm plates, for a brisingid species using SEM to date.
Palavras-chave : ossicles; oral frame; pedicellariae; spines; deep-sea.