Ophiothela mirabilis Verrill, 1867

Granja-Fernandez, Rebeca, Herrero-Perezrul, Maria D., Lopez-Perez, Ramon A., Hernandez, Luis, Rodriguez-Zaragoza, Fabian A., Jones, Robert Wallace & Pineda-Lopez, Ruben, 2014, Ophiuroidea (Echinodermata) from coral reefs in the Mexican Pacific, ZooKeys 406, pp. 101-145 : 114-116

Ophiothela mirabilis Verrill, 1867 Figure 3 A–F

Description.

Disk lobulated (dd = 1.3 to 4.3 mm) and totally covered by large, rounded and scattered grains of different sizes. Disk mostly covered by large radial shields which are in contact and covered by grains (Fig. 3D). The ventral side of the disk is covered by skin (Fig. 3E). Oral and adoral shields appear to be fused, forming a continuous ring; covered by skin. Oral papillae lacking. A cluster of rounded dental papillae; about 10-18 (Fig. 3F). Six rolled up arms. Dorsal arm plates concealed and covered by numerous rounded grains, there are naked spaces between plates (Fig. 3B). Ventral arm plates with rounded edges, separated by the lateral arm plates and covered with skin (Fig. 3C). Lateral arm plates well developed. Six arm spines provided with well-developed hooks at the tip; the third spine is the longest. Tentacle scales lacking. Color purplish-rosaceous; dorsal side of the disk mostly rosaceous with purplish arms (Fig. 3A), ventral side uniformly rosaceous (Fig. 3E).

Distribution.

Mexico, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Brazil, Lesser Antilles ( Verrill 1867, Neira and Cantera 2005, Alvarado et al. 2010, Hendler et al. 2012). In Mexico has been reported from the Gulf of California (Baja California Sur and Sinaloa), on the Pacific side of Baja California Sur, Nayarit, Jalisco, Michoacán, Guerrero and Oaxaca ( Solís-Marín et al. 2005, Honey-Escandón et al. 2008, Granja-Fernández and López-Pérez 2011). Depth 6 to 61 m ( Maluf 1988). In this study, Ophiothela mirabilis was collected on coral reefs from Jalisco, Michoacán, Guerrero and Oaxaca, between depths of 4 and 26 m.

Remarks.

Ophiothela mirabilis was collected in gorgonians and sponges, but was more numerous and conspicuous in the former. We observed that Ophiothela mirabilis had a great variety of colors (purple rosaceous, creamy, burgundy and yellow) which were correlated with the color of the gorgonians upon which the brittle stars were collected. This color matching between Ophiothela and gorgonians also has been reported by Clark AM (1976a). Ophiothela mirabilis is always attached to the gorgonians rolling up their arms and with the help of their hooked spines of the arms. Specimens were found in three forms: specimens with six well-developed arms, with six arms, of which three were not well-developed or with only three arms. This is correlated with asexual reproduction by fission where the disk splits in two parts and each split disk regenerates the missing part ( Clark AM 1976a, Hendler et al. 2012). Ophiothela mirabilis has recently been found in emergent populations in the Atlantic and the Caribbean, where it may alter the appearance and ecology of the areas due to the high densities of the species ( Hendler et al. 2012).

Collected material.

JALISCO:La Pajarera (55 specimens, gorgonian, 29/09/2010, ICML-UNAM 10300).

MICHOACÁN:Isla Pájaros (1 specimen, 28/09/2010, ICML-UNAM 10289).

GUERRERO:Morro del Cerro Colorado (35 specimens, gorgonian, 30/11/2010, ICML-UNAM 10361; 6 specimens, gorgonian, 4.5 m, 23/11/2011, ICML-UNAM 10481; 22 specimens, gorgonian, 5.5 m, 31/05/2012, ICML-UNAM 10561); Carey (3 specimens, gorgonian, 4 m, 23/11/2011, ICML-UNAM 10497); Zacatoso (7 specimens, gorgonian, 02/03/2009, ICML-UNAM 10175; 5 specimens, gorgonian, 9.1 m, 01/06/2012, ICML-UNAM 10576); El Chato (9 specimens, gorgonian, 13.7 m, 04/03/2009, ICML-UNAM 10186; 13 specimens, sponge, 04/03/2009, ICML-UNAM 10187); Caleta de Chón (4 specimens, gorgonian, 03/03/2009, ICML-UNAM 10181); Manzanillo (3 specimens, sponge, 05/03/2009, ICML-UNAM 10190; 2 specimens, gorgonian, 6 m, 22/11/2011, ICML-UNAM 10467); Morros de Potosí (24 specimens, gorgonian, 06/03/2009, ICML-UNAM 10197; 24 specimens, gorgonian, 06/03/2009, ICML-UNAM 10198; 159 specimens, gorgonian,, 03/12/2010, ICML-UNAM 10395); Palmitas (44 specimens, gorgonian, 6.4 m, 20/11/2011, ICML-UNAM 10452), El Ripial (46 specimens, gorgonian, 20/11/2011, ICML-UNAM 10461).

OAXACA:El Zapatito (3 specimens, sponge, 23/04/2009, ICML-UNAM 10222); Punto de Presión (30 specimens, sponge, 26 m, 22/04/2009, ICML-UNAM 10207); El Faro (14 specimens, gorgonian, 21.3 m, 22/04/2009, ICML-UNAM 10212); La Mina (10 specimens, gorgonian, 19/02/2009, MHN 005-4319); San Agustín (92 specimens, gorgonian, 16/04/2008, MHN 005-4345); Órgano (4 specimens, gorgonian, 08/08/2011, ICML-UNAM 10429); Manzanilla (1 specimen, gorgonian, 03/12/2008, MHN 005-4316); Copalita (26 specimens, gorgonian, 9.1 m, 18/05/2012, ICML-UNAM 10530).