Ophiophrura sp.

O’Hara, Timothy D. & Thuy, Ben, 2025, Seamount ophiuroids from the High Seas of the western Indian Ocean, Zootaxa 5718 (1), pp. 1-88 : 38-40

Ophiophrura sp.

Fig. 13l–o

STUDY MATERIAL. — JC066 : stn 4-2, Coral seamount, 41° 20.708´S, 42° 55.292´E to 41° 20.99´S, 42° 55.12´E, 1300 m, 12/11/2011: 1 ( NHMUK 2025.65 ) ( DNA code= JC066-243 ) .

COMPARATIVE MATERIAL EXAMINED. Ophiophrura liodisca H.L. Clark, 1911 : FK190106/S0219-S3, Costa Rica Rio Bongo Scar , 9° 17.5527´N, 84° 17.1487´W, 606 m, 13/1/2019 , identified by Seid et al. (2025), SIO E7980 ( DNA code= SIO E7323 B). SE-1722/10DR, Kumano-nada , 33° 59.72´N, 136° 56.67´E to 33° 59.72´N, 136° 56.68´E, 796– 768 m, 10/11/2017 , NSMT E11516 ( DNA code=SE-17-162). SS01/2008/40, Tasmanian fracture zone, 45° 8.5848´S, 146° 2.052´E to 45° 9.0552´S, 146° 0.1866´E, 1610–1640 m, 24/1/2008 , MV F162603 ( DNA code= TOH _0918). TAN1206/32, Site SM4 d, NE flank, Tangaroa Seamount , Kermadec Ridge, 36° 19.218´S, 178° 3.39´E to 178° 3.318´N, 36° 19.152´W, 1421– 1412 m, 18/4/2012 , MV F188883 ( DNA code=02W1M) .

Remarks. The disc ( 3 mm dd) is covered with skin that hides the underlying thin imbricating disc scales, no spines or granules, radial shields not evident; oral shields 2x wider than long with a slightly convex distal border; 3–5 blunt lateral oral papillae, outer longest, adoral shield spine present; 4 arm spines after the disc, falling to 3, uppermost longest, slightly flattened, distally they are not hooked; triangular DAPs, 2–3 tentacle scales,

Martynov (2010) diagnosed 3 species within this genus based mainly on the shape of the oral shield, but O’Hara & Thuy (2022) found this to be variable, even on the same specimen. O’Hara & Thuy (2022) identified a specimen from the St Paul and Amsterdam Islands as O. tripapillata on the basis that it had a cluster of ventral tooth papillae at the jaw apex and a maximum of 4 arm spines. All other specimens from the bathyal of the Indo-Pacific have been referred to as O. liodisca . The current specimen is too juvenile to be clearly identifiable using the above criteria and we do not have any DNA sequences from the Atlantic as a comparison. However, the 4 DNA samples of Ophiophrura we have from the Indo-Pacific are genetically divergent, indicating the probability of cryptic speciation.

Figures

FIGURE 13. (a–h) Amphiophiura litvinovae sp. nov. MNHN IE.2016.1369 (a) dorsal, (b) ventral, (c) lateral view of arm base, (d) lateral arm plate, exterior view, (e) lateral arm plate, interior view,, (f) ventral arm plate, (g) dorsal arm plate, (h) vertebra, distal view; (i–k) Ophiuroglypha sp NHMUK 2025.63 (i) dorsal, (j) ventral, (k) lateral arm base; (l–o) Ophiophrura sp NHMUK 2025.65 (l) dorsal, (m) ventral, (n) lateral mid-arm, (o) arm tip.