Deep sea starfishes (Echinodermata: Asteroidea) from the Avilés Canyon System (Bay of Biscay), including two new records

The Avilés Canyon System (ACS) is located at the Southern Bay of Biscay (Northern Spain, Cantabrian Sea). ACS occupies a total 339.026 ha and composed three canyons, reaching abyssal plain 4700 m depth. Water masses that mix in area form gyres upwelling contribute to increasing nutrients different depths, which makes it an important place for settlement benthic communities. They have been declared Site Community Importance (SCI: C ESZZ12003) within Natura 2000 Network recognized as Vulnerable Marine Ecosystem where Echinoderms play role these communities habitats. present study tries inventory review asteroid fauna collected during INDEMARES project compare new findings with previous studies Official Spanish Checklist (IEEM: “Inventario Español de Especies Marinas”, 2017, 2020) update our knowledge on diversity distribution asteroid's species. During surveys carried out LIFE + INDEMARES-Avilés (2010–2012) 445 specimens, belonging 25 Asteroids species, were from 36 stations depth range between 266 1476 m. most frequent species Nymphaster arenatus (Perrier, 1881) (30.55%) Henricia caudani (Koehler, 1895) (25%). After public datasets, two should be considered records waters: Radiaster tizardi (Sladen, 1882) sexradiata 1881), 4 expand their bathymetric range: Novodinia pandina 1889), H. , Myxaster perrieri Koehler, 1895. • New about sea-stars Aviles (Biscay Bay). A high asteroids richness was found considering study. record North waters R. . alien Caribbean Sea.