Patiriella mortenseni

Patiriella mortenseni is a sea star of the family Asterinidae endemic to New Zealand. Discovered as a new species in 2002,^[1] it is named after T. Mortensen, who recorded it as distinct from Patiriella regularis, the New Zealand common cushion star, in 1925.^[2]

Reciprocal transplant experiments in Fiordland have shown it is less tolerant of hyposaline conditions than close relative Patiriella regularis. This is reflected in its distribution: it lives in deeper waters (at depths of roughly 10±3 m in Milford and Doubtful Sounds), below the low salinity layer (LSL).^[3] In laboratory conditions they die after 24 hour exposure to water with salinities below 25‰.^[3]

References

1. ^ O'Loughlin, P.M., Waters, J.M., Roy, M.S., 2002. Description of a new species of Patiriella from New Zealand, and review of Patiriella regularis (Echinodermata, Asteroidea) based on morphological and molecular data. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand 32, 697–711.
2. ^ Mortensen, T. 1925: Echinoderms of New Zealand and the Auckland-Campbell Islands. III-V. Asteroidea, Holothurioidea, Crinoidea. Videnskabelige Meddelelser fra Dansk naturhistorisk Forening i København 79. Pp. 261–420.
3. ^ ^{a b} Barker, M.F.; M.P. Russell. (2008). "The distribution and behaviour of Patiriella mortenseni and P. regularis in the extreme hyposaline conditions of the southern New Zealand fiords". Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 355: 76–84. doi:10.1016/j.jembe.2007.12.001.