Amphiophiura sp.

O’Hara, Timothy D. & Thuy, Ben, 2022, Biogeography and taxonomy of Ophiuroidea (Echinodermata) from the Îles Saint- Paul and Amsterdam in the southern Indian Ocean, Zootaxa 5124 (1), pp. 1-49 : 11-12

Amphiophiura sp. juvenile

Fig. 4C–D

Material examined. MD 50 DC34, MNHN IE.2009.1615 (3).

Comparative material Examined. Amphiophiura sculptilis (Lyman, 1878) : IN2017_ V03 stn 086, 30°5.9’S 153°53.9’E, 2429–2518 m, 5/6/2021, holotype, MV F237937 (51).

Remarks. The three specimens are very small (1–3 mm dd, Fig. 4C–D ) and possibly juveniles of a larger species. The primary plates are contiguous and cover over half of the disc, the radial shields are small, contiguous distally but separated proximally by a small triangular scale, and there are 2 interradial quadrangular scales between the shields. The oral shields are as long as wide, pointed proximally and rounded distally, taking up the majority of the ventral surface, otherwise there are six small ventral scales in three rows. There are four slender arm spines, almost a segment in length. The DAPs are kite-shaped and separate. The VAPs are hourglass-shaped, longer than wide. They resemble A. sculptilis ( Lyman 1878b) however, juveniles of that size from Australia (MV F237937) have much shorter arm spines and more coarsely granulated disc plates.

Figures

FIGURE 4. (A–B) Anthophiura ingolfi, MNHN IE.2009.1609, A: dorsal and B: ventral views. (C–D) Amphiophiura sp., juvenile, MNHN IE.2009.1615, C: dorsal and D: ventral views. (E) Ophiomyces sp., juvenile, MNHN IE.2009.1577, lateral view. (F–H) Ophiophrura tripapillata, MNHN IE.2009.1573, F: dorsal view, G: ventral view and H: lateral arm view.