Colours

Distinguishing features

Comatulids are distinguised from all other featherstar families by having terminal segments of the oral pinnules modified to form a comb. Comatulids a also have a distinctive "feel" due to well developed hooks on most pinnules that cause them to cling like velcro.

Comaster nobilis lives fully exposed with its numerous arms held in a bush-like posture. There are usually no cirri but some individuals have a few weak ones. The central area of the underside is very solid and smooth.

The most common colour is white on the under surface near the centre, becoming yellow/brown in the distal half. Pinnules are usually speckled with a combination of white and yellow, sometimes with some black and green.

The distinctive colour pattern and smooth undersurface help distinguish this species from Comaster audax, which is often found in the same habitat and has a similar living position.

It can be distinguished from Comaster schlegelii by its absence of cirri, colour pattern (C. schlegelii does not have large areas of white), habitat (C. schlegelii lives close to the reef crest among corals) and living position (C. schlegelli is tightly sequestered within the reef).

Summers et al (2017) relegated C. nobilis to the synonymy of C. schlegelii based on low divergence of COI between individuals identified as those nominal species. We have retained both names here because the two forms are identifiable both in the field and by morphological differences as outlined by Rowe et al (1986).

Size

Depth range

Synonyms

Distribution

Distribution and habitat preferences

It perches on both soft and hard substrates, including hard and soft corals, algae and rubble.

Comaster nobilis is found mostly in water deeper than 10 m, anywhere around the perimeter of the island group. Messing (2006) records Comaster nobilis as part of an unusual soft-bottom fauna in 12 to 17 m depth off Osprey Island.

Web resources

References