The Crinoid Fauna (Echinodermata: Crinoidea) of Palau

Authors

Charles G. Messing, Nova Southeastern UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Pacific Science

ISSN

0030-8870

Publication Date

1-2007

Keywords

Crinoid

Abstract

Taxonomic revisions and a recent survey using scuba place the number of shallow-water (< 50 m) crinoid species known from Palau at 22. Five are new records: Clarkcomanthus littoralis, Comanthus suavia, Alloeocomatella pectinifera, Oxycomanthus comanthipinna, and O. exilis. A submersible survey (to 310 m) recovered five additional new records, four of which are the first representatives of their families from Palauan waters:Eudiocrinus venustulus (Eudiocrinidae), Glyptometra sp. (Charitometridae), Cosmiometra belsuchel Messing, n. sp. (Thalassometridae), and Porphyrocrinus verrucosus(Phrynocrinidae), the first stalked crinoid recorded from Palau. Two of the three specimens of the latter have regenerating crowns, suggesting that this species may be subject to substantial predation or an unstable environment.

DOI

10.1353/psc.2007.0010

Volume

61

Issue

1

First Page

91

Last Page

111

Comments

©2007 by University of Hawai'I Press

Additional Comments

US National Cancer Institute contract #: N02-CM-77249

NSUWorks Citation

Messing, Charles G. "The crinoid fauna (Echinodermata: Crinoidea) of Palau." Pacific science 61, no. 1 (2007): 91-111.