Ophiomastix Müller & Troschel, 1842

Stöhr, Sabine, 2011, New records and new species of Ophiuroidea (Echinodermata) from Lifou, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia, Zootaxa 3089, pp. 1-50 : 36

Genus Ophiomastix Müller & Troschel, 1842

Remarks. Among the species of Ophiomastix found at Lifou, O. ornata Koehler, 1905 is an interesting find. According to Devaney (1978) it is unusual among its congeners, because of the lack of enlarged arm spines, a character otherwise typical of Ophiomastix , and in that the arm spines are hollow, a character it shares with Ophiocoma pusilla ( Brock, 1888) . Ophiomastix ornata is characterized also by compressed spindle-shaped disk spinelets.

Ophiomastix caryophyllata Lütken, 1869 is a conspicuously patterned ( Fig. 13 C, D) member of the genus, found only once at Lifou, as a juvenile specimen. The most common species of Ophiomastix is O. variabilis Koehler, 1905 , found at 12 collecting sites.

Distribution. Ophiomastix ornata was previously known from the type specimen from southeastern Borneo and two specimens from the island of Bikini, at depths of 35– 55 m. It is a new record for New Caledonia and the known depth range has increased to 25– 200 m. This appears to be a rare species with wide distribution. Ophiomastix variabilis is a widespread Indo-Pacific species, whereas O. caryophyllata may be rarer.

Figures

FIGURE 13. SEM images of Amphiodia (Amphispina) loripes. A, habitus; B, dorsal aspect; C, radial shields with spiny processes; D, dorsal arm; E, ventral aspect; F, ventral arm; G, genital slits and ventral aspect of radial shield processes, H, arm spines. Scale bars in millimetre.