Coulonia parva n. sp., a new species of Astropectinidae (Asteroidea; Echinodermata) from the Santonian (Upper Cretaceous) of Sierra de Montsech (southern Pyrenees, Spain)

A new astropectinid sea star,Coulonia parva n. sp., is described from the Santonian of the Sierra de Montsech, northern Spain. The single specimen shows part of a rather weathered ventral side. It is characterized by comparatively long arms (R/r approx. 3/1), with one row of actinals reaching far into the arms; inferomarginals on the interbrachial arc have deep fasciolar grooves that are less developed on the arms; there are no larger spines on adambulacrals and probably also on inferomarginals. Based on presence of deep marginal fascioles,C. parva n. sp. is inferred to have shared the capability for self-burial with the relatedC. platyspina Hess &Blake.