Ophiopsila californica A.H. Clark, 1921

Granja-Fernández, Rebeca, Hendrickx, Michel E., Rangel-Solís, Pedro Diego & López-Pérez, Andrés, 2023, Deep-sea Ophiuroidea (Echinodermata) collected during the TALUD cruises in western Mexico, Zootaxa 5259 (1), pp. 1-71 : 47

Ophiopsila californica A.H. Clark, 1921

Fig. 13G‒L

Ophiopsila californica A.H. Clark, 1921: 109‒110 .— Boolotian & Leighton 1966: 6‒10, fig. 24.

Material examined. One individual at one station. TALUD XIV, Sta. 7, 1 ind. (ICML-EMU-11689).

Comparative material. Holotype: USNM 38662 (Supplementary file 2).

Description (ICML-EMU-11689). DD = 12 mm. Disc rounded. Dorsal disc covered by very fine and imbricated scales, no granules or spines. Primary plates not evident. RS elongated, slender, conspicuous distally, separated by numerous scales proximally ( Fig. 13G ). Ventral interradii covering similar to dorsal disc ( Fig. 13H ). OSh broader than long, triangular with rounded edges, and with a distal protuberance. Madreporite larger than OSh. AdSh slender, not conspicuous, separated. Jaws bearing 2‒3 oval AdShSp and 2AdShSp; BSc elongated; IPa elongated, pointed; TPa numerous, elongated, strong, various sizes. vT rectangular ( Fig. 13I ). Arms slender and elongated. DAP broader than long, rectangular with rounded edges, meeting ( Fig. 13J ). VAP longer than broad, pentagonal, meeting. LAP with five ArSp, small (approximately 1.5 arm segment in length), flat tip, ventralmost the longest. Tentacle pores with two TSc, adradial lanceolate and extremely elongated crossing the opposite adradial TSc, abradial TSc pointed and small (approximately ¼ VAP in length) ( Fig. 13K ). Color pattern on dorsal and ventral disc beige with brown spots ( Fig. 13G, H ), dorsal arms with transverse brown and beige bands, and some white stains (ethanol preservation) ( Fig. 13J, L ).

Habitat and distribution. California, EUA, and northern Mexican Pacific; 33‒ 204 m depth, rocky and sandy substrates (A.H. Clark 1921; Maluf 1988; Granja-Fernández et al. 2015; see Remarks). The material examined was collected in the northern Gulf of California; 204 m depth.

Remarks. Previously known as deep as 201 m ( Maluf 1988) but recorded herein at 204 m depth. The original description of Ophiopsila californica is based on a small specimen (DD = 4.5 mm; A.H. Clark 1921). The unique specimen examined herein allows for the first description and the first photographic record of a large specimen.

Figures

FIGURE 13. Ophiochiton cf. fastigatus Lyman, 1878 (ICML-EMU-11176, DD = 24 mm). A, Dorsal disc; B, Ventral disc; C, Mouth; D, Dorsal arm; E, Ventral arm; F, Dorsal view. Ophiopsila californica A.H. Clark, 1921 (ICML-EMU-11689, DD = 12 mm). G, Dorsal disc; H, Ventral disc; I, Mouth; J, Dorsal arm; K, Ventral arm; L, Dorsal view.