Henricia spp. (Echinodermata: Asteroidea: Echinasteridae) of the White Sea: morphology, morphometry, and synonymy

摘要

Though sea stars of the genus Henricia Gray, 1840 are widely used in biological studies, their species diversity in the Arctic is poorly understood. We conducted a taxonomic revision of the genus Henricia from the White Sea and examined 381 specimens of Henricia sea stars deposited in the collection of the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (St. Petersburg), the type collection founded by A.M. Djakonov, and our own collection. Following the 1987 study by F.J. Madsen and the 1950 study by A.M. Djakonov, we identified six species in the White Sea: Henricia eschrichti (J. Muller and Troschel, 1842), Henricia perforata (O.F. Muller, 1776), Henricia scabrior (Michailovskij, 1903), Henricia solida Djakonov, 1950, Henricia sanguinolenta (O.F. Muller, 1776), and Henricia pertusa (O.F. Muller, 1776). Updated descriptions, identification keys, and distribution data of these species are provided. Statistical analysis based on the set of individual characters confirmed the validity of the species H. scabrior. Synonymy of Henricia species according to the 1950 study by A.M. Djakonov and the 1987 study by F.J. Madsen is discussed.