Early Devonian stelleroid echinoderms from Central Victoria

Stelleroids are considered rare in the Devonian of Australia partly because they are notoriously rare as fossils of any age, the world over, but mainly because only four species have been recognized previously. These are from the Melbourne Zone of central Victoria and it is remarkable that not one stelleroid is known from any of the other extensive, highly fossiliferous, Devonian successions of the continent. In this paper: (1) the four known species are revised: Schuchertia junori Withers & Keble as originally assigned, Crepidosoma kinglakensis Withers & Keble is designated type of Austrophiaulax gen. nov., Taeniactis yeringae Withers & Keble is reassigned to Phurioina gen. nov. and Urasterella cresswelli Withers & Keble is placed in synonymy with Urasterella selwyni McCoy. (2) Three species occurring in the Devonian that have type specimens from the Silurian are revised: Salteraster biradialis Withers & Keble is designated type of Talentaster gen. nov., Petraster richi Withers & Keble is designated type of Acruxaster gen. nov. and Urasterella selwyni McCoy as originally assigned. (3) New taxa introduced are as follows: Ophiuroida: Fhcaster hotchkissi gen. et sp. nov., Enidaster holmesae gen. et sp. nov., Eugasterella australiana sp. nov., Eugasterella edmundgilli sp. nov. Rolfaster schmidti gen. et sp. nov., Lapworthura nnetteae sp. nov., Furcaster chrisahyeei sp. nov., Eckardtaster superbus gen. et sp. nov., Ophiurina ripariensis sp. nov., Phurioina lilydalensis sp. nov., Patenaster knoxensis gen. et sp. nov., Patenaster secundus gen. et sp. nov.; Stenurida: Tanyakanthaster plerus gen. et sp. nov., Subcystaster magnadamus gen. et sp. nov.; Asteroida: Fonsaster vandenbergi gen. et sp. nov., Quarreriaster madelynae gen. et sp. nov., Kswaster campbelli gen. et sp. nov., Ferroaster gravidus gen. et sp. nov., Curtobesaster brachiatus gen. et sp. nov., Xenaster profusus sp. nov. (4) Furcaster leptosoma (Salter), known from the late Silurian of Herefordshire, England is recognized as common in the Australian Devonian.Peter A. Jell [amjell@bigpond.com], School of Earth and Environment, The University of Queensland, St Lucia 4072, Australia.