Psilaster andromeda subsp. andromeda andromeda? (Muller & Troschel 1842

Psilaster andromeda andromeda ? (Müller & Troschel, 1842) Reports for the Azores:

p.p. Psilaster andromeda (D̹ben & Karen, 1846)—? $ Perrier 1894: 195–196; Perrier 1896a: 17, 1896a: 51;

Psilaster andromeda (M̹ller & Troschel, 1842)—? $ Koehler 1909: 60, pl. 2, fig. 3, pl. 16, figs. 8–9; Koehler 1924: 205; Mortensen 1927a: 59–60, fig. 33; Marques 1980: 100; Gage et al. 1983: 274–275;

Psilaster andromeda andromeda (M̹ller & Troschel, 1842)— García-Diez et al. 2005: 47.

Type locality: Kattegat (probably off Bohuslan, western Sweden).

See: A.M. Clark & Downey (1992: 77–78, figs. 14a, 15a–c, k, I, pl. 21, figs. D–G); Dilman (2006: 180).

Occurrence: Northeast Atlantic cold waters, from the Arctic south to the SE of Greenland, the Reykjanes Ridge, Iceland-Faeroe Rise and from Scandinavia to the Bay of Biscay (A.M. Clark & Downey 1992, Dilman 2006) and the?Azores (Koehler 1909); the subspecies P. andromeda florae (Verrill, 1889) is known from south of Newfoundland to SE of Cape May, New Jersey (c. 38°30’N; A.M. Clark & Downey 1992).

Depth: 70– 2,965 m (A.M. Clark & Downey 1992, Dilman 2006);? AZO: 140– 1,440 m (Perrier 1894, Koehler 1909).

Habitat: soft sediments (mud or ooze; A.M. Clark & Downey 1992); predates on molluscs, echinoderms (young spatangoids), foraminifera, etc. (Mortensen 1927a).

Remarks: A.M. Clark & Downey (1992) reviewed the bathymetrical and geographical distributions of Psilaster andromeda and concluded that it could not be established with certainty. One of the main contributing factors is that this highly variable species has been frequently confused with other similar species, such as Persephonaster patagiatus and P. sphenoplax, both overlapping the geographic distribution of Psilaster andromeda andromeda. They further suggest that records south of the Bay of Biscay are zoogeographically unlikely, thus implying that the only known Azorean records by Perrier (1894, 1896a) are misidentifications. Historically, Koehler (1909) had already questioned the validity of the determinations made by Perrier on the material from the Talisman and Hirondelle stating that the later author confused P. andromeda with P. patagiatus. On re-examination of the material taken by Hirondelle Koehler confirmed his suspicions and remarked that all specimens belonged to the latter species. As for the material collected by Talisman, Koehler commented that both species were present. However, A.M. Clark & Downey (1992) suspected that Koehler himself confused P. andromeda with P. sphenoplax. Additionally, on finding a great variability of the diagnostic characters for P. andromeda subspecies Dilman (2006) showed some concerns on their subspecific value.