Four new and one previously known species of the genus Freyella were found in the materials collected during several voyages of R/V
Vityaz and
Akademik Kurchalov.
F. flabellispina sp. n. from the South-East Pacific differs from
F. remex and
F. heroina by a lesser number of rays and presence of very large (0.4-0.6 mm) pedicellaria on the disc.
F. macropedicellariae sp. n. from the East Indian Ocean has large pedicellaria not only on the disc but on the rays as well and, unlike
F. flabellispina, has no small pedicellaria.
F. loricata sp. n. from several stations in the North-West Pacific is closely related to a widespread
F. tuberculata but differs from it by the form of abactinal plates and shorter abactinal spines.
F. vitjazi sp. n. from the East Indian Ocean differs from all other species of the genus by adambulacral armature consisting of 3 long spines.
F. heroina known previously by a single finding in the Central Pacific is now recorded in the Indian Ocean to the west of Maldive Islands. This specimen has some distinctions from the type form (apparently, due to indivdiual variability). A key is given for 38 known species of the genus
Freyella
