Ophiopyrgidae Perrier, 1893

Stöhr, Sabine, Hugall, Andrew F., Thuy, Ben & Martynov, Alexander, 2018, Morphological diagnoses of higher taxa in Ophiuroidea (Echinodermata) in support of a new classification, European Journal of Taxonomy 416, pp. 1-35 : 10

Family Ophiopyrgidae Perrier, 1893

Type genus

Ophiopyrgus Lyman, 1878a (type species: O. wyvillethomsoni Lyman, 1878a ).

Other genera

Amphiophiura Matsumoto, 1915 , Aspidophiura Matsumoto, 1915 , Dictenophiura H.L. Clark, 1923 , Euvondrea Fell, 1961a , Glaciacantha Fell, 1961b , Gymnophiura Lütken & Mortensen, 1899 , Ophiogona Studer, 1876 , Ophiomages Koehler, 1923 , Ophioperla Koehler, 1912 , Ophiopleura Danielssen & Koren, 1877 , Ophioplinthus Lyman, 1878a , Ophiosparte Koehler, 1922b , Ophiosteira Bell, 1902 , Ophiuroglypha Hertz, 1927 , Spinophiura Stöhr & Segonzac, 2006 , Stegophiura Matsumoto, 1915 .

Diagnosis

High disc with few to many scales, primary plates obvious (but Ophiosparte with thickened skin covering the disc scales and plates; Ophiopleura with scales embedded in thickened skin). Arm combs present but often not as well expressed as in Ophiuridae . Lateral arm plates generally with ventro-distalwardspointing tentacle notch, often with within-plate tentacle perforation in median to distal arm portions. Distal arm spines often hooked. Arm spine articulation oval to slit-shaped with lower lip, nerve opening at a distance, in paedomorphic taxa such as Ophiopyrgus weakly expressed as slightly larger pore in the stereom of the lateral arm plate.

Remarks

Ophiopyrgus is a paedomorphic species with reduced morphology. It is therefore not ideal as typical genus for the characterization of a family but the name Ophiopyrgidae has priority. The expression of typical characters varies greatly among the included genera, many specializations occur.