Going deeper and further: a range and depth extension for the deep-sea feather star Paratelecrinus cubensis (Carpenter, 1881) (Comatulida, Atelecrinidae), first record from the Western Pacific

Abstract

A specimen belonging to the deep-sea feather-star family Atelecrinidae was collected in April 2018 at the Kocebu Guyot at 1294 m deep. Based on its morphological characters, the specimen was identified as Paratelecrinus cubensis (Carpenter, 1881). This species of feather star is restricted to the deep sea and was known only from 12 records from the Bahamas and Cuba at depths of 567–892 m. The data represent the first record from the Western Pacific Ocean and the deepest record known, extending the depth where this feather star has been found to beyond 1000 m. The morphological characteristics of the Kocebu Guyot specimen were essentially identical to the morphology of the neotype, with a slight difference in the dorsal spine at the end of the cirri. The phylogenetic analysis based on the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI), 16S rRNA genes, 28S rRNA genes, and 18S rRNA genes reveal a close relationship of P. cubensis with P. wyvilli. Results of our molecular phylogenetic analysis are consistent with our morphological identifications. Our find extends the known geographical distribution of the feather star P. cubensis to the Western Pacific Ocean and provide insights into deep-sea biodiversity in the Kocebu Guyot.