Luidia senegalensis (Lamarck 1816)

Body flattened. Disk rounded. Nine long and narrow arms (rarely 7) (Fig. 4e, f). Paxillae on abactinal surface. Paxillae small, arranged irregularly, occupying center of disk and of arms. Paxillae of carinal regions rounded, with 1–4 central, short, rounded spinelets and 12–16 marginal spinelets disposed into two rows. Adradial paxillae quadrangular, disposed in regular longitudinal and tranversal rows, bearing 4–10 central, short, rounded spines (Fig. 4g). Inferomarginal figs with two short, conical and slightly compressed spines (~2.20 mm), the upper one being the smallest. Towards the mouth the inferomarginal figs are covered by short, lanceolate spines (Fig. 4f). Between these and the lateral margins slender spinelets occur. Adambulacral figs with four spines, two elongate, compressed and slightly curved adambulacral spines, and two elongate, flattened and lanceolate subambulacral spines (Fig. 4h). Oral spines long (~2.59 mm) and thin, forming a dense tuft of spines on the apex of jaw. Ocular figs well developed and grunuliform. Pedicellariae absent. Colour. Dorsally bluish-grey or greenish-gray, with a strong dark line along the central region of the disk and of the arms. The actinal surface is white to cream-coloured.

Florida, Cuba, Jamaica, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Venezuela and Brazil (Tommasi 1958, Clark 1982, Abreu-Pérez et al. 2005, Alvarado et al. 2008, del Valle García et al. 2008). In Brazil: PI, CE, PB, PE, AL, BA, RJ, SP, and SC (Rathbun 1879, Verrill 1915, Bernasconi 1943, Krau 1950, Tommasi 1958, 1970, Brito 1962, 1968, Lima-Verde 1969, Fernandes et al. 2002, Magalhães et al. 2005, Gondim et al. 2008, 2013, Gondim and Giacometti 2010, Xavier 2010, Miranda et al. 2012). This study provides the first record for the coast of Rio Grande do Norte. From 1 to 64 m in depth, being rare below 40 m (Clark and Downey 1992).