Ophionereis annulata (Le Conte, 1851)

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 : 122-123

Ophionereis annulata (Le Conte, 1851) Figure 4 G–L

Description.

Disk rounded (dd = 2.8 to 14.3 mm) and covered by small and imbricating scales. Central primary plate evident. Radial shields small, triangular and surrounded by large disk scales (Fig. 4J). Ventral interradius covered by imbricating scales, which are smaller than dorsal scales. Bursal slits large and with small genital papillae (Fig. 4K). Oral shields diamond-shape, longer than wide. The madreporite is evident. Adoral shields lanceolate, not meeting within. Four rounded and spaced oral papillae on each side of jaw. Single enlarged, triangular papillae found distally (Fig. 4L). Dorsal arm plates longer than wide. Accessory dorsal arm plates well developed (Fig. 4H). Ventral arm plates slightly longer than wide. Three arm spines with blunt tips. A single, flat and oval tentacle scale completely covering each tentacle pore (Fig. 4I). Disk light brown with closely spaced brown-purplish rounded spots. Arms with dark dorsal plates every fourth or fifth plate (Fig. 4G).

Distribution.

USA (California), Mexico, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador and Galapagos Islands ( Verrill 1867, Campbell 1921, Nielsen 1932, Ziesenhenne 1937, 1940, Neira and Cantera 2005, Honey-Escandón et al. 2008, Alvarado et al. 2010). In Mexico, from the Gulf of California (Baja California Sur, Sonora, Sinaloa), Nayarit, Jalisco, Revillagigedo Islands, Colima, Michoacán, Guerrero and Oaxaca ( Solís-Marín et al. 2005, Honey-Escandón et al. 2008, Granja-Fernández et al. 2013). From 0 to 229 m depth ( Maluf 1988). In this study, Ophionereis annulata was collected on coral reefs from Jalisco, Colima, Michoacán, Guerrero and Oaxaca, from 3.6 to 13.5 m depth.

Remarks.

Adult specimens of Ophionereis annulata were found buried in sand, while specimens found in live stony corals were juveniles. Maluf (1988) reports Ophionereis annulata inhabiting rock, algae and sponge in the Central Eastern Pacific, along with the substrata recorded in this study. This species is the only one in the Mexican Pacific having an association with a scale-worm ( Malmgrenia cf. variegata); this association was found in localities from Jalisco, Guerrero and Oaxaca, Mexico ( Granja-Fernández et al. 2013). This species is most closely related to Ophionereis reticulata (Say, 1825) from the east coast of America; although there are morphological characteristics that distinguish both species ( Clark AM 1953). In the studied area, the color pattern of Ophionereis annulata displayed two variations: 1) the most common was of a creamy-yellowish-colored disk with brown spots or reticulations, while the arms were creamy and purplish but every fourth-fifth joint possessed a green-darker band; 2) the coloration of the disk was similar to the above but with smaller reticulations, the arms green in color with olive-green darker bands and blotches; the darker bands every fourth-fifth joint and, occupying one or two arm plates. These color patterns have been reported by different authors in other areas of the Eastern Pacific ( Verrill 1867, Nielsen 1932, Ziesenhenne 1940, Caso 1951).

Collected material.

JALISCO:La Pajarera (2 specimens, 29/09/2010, ICML-UNAM 10301); Pelícanos (3 specimens, 29/09/2010, ICML-UNAM 10302); Cuastecomatito (1 specimen, sand, 30/09/2010, ICML-UNAM 10370).

COLIMA:Punto B (1 specimen, 01/10/2010, ICML-UNAM 10343).

MICHOACÁN:Morro de Enmedio (1 specimen, stony coral, 3.7 m, 24/02/2010, ICML-UNAM 10249).

GUERRERO:Morro del Cerro Colorado (5 specimens, sand, 4.5 m, 23/11/2011, ICML-UNAM 10483; 5 specimens, sand, 5.5 m, 31/05/2012, ICML-UNAM 10566); Carey (1 specimen, sand, 4 m, 23/11/2011, ICML-UNAM 10498); Caleta de Chón (7 specimens, sand, 03/03/2009, ICML-UNAM 10182); El Yunque (2 specimens, sand, 8 m, 24/11/2011, ICML-UNAM 10502); Manzanillo (5 specimens, sand, 05/11/2009, ICML-UNAM 10241; 2 specimens, sand, 6 m, 22/11/2011, ICML-UNAM 10470); Morros de Potosí (1 specimen, 06/03/2009, ICML-UNAM 10201).

OAXACA:Puerto Angelito (1 specimen, sand, 10.7 m, 05/08/2007, MHN 005-4375; 5 specimens, sand, 10 m, 23/04/2012, ICML-UNAM 10508); El Faro (3 specimens, sand, 22/04/2009, ICML-UNAM 10215; 2 specimens, sand, 23/04/2009, ICML-UNAM 10229; 7 specimens, sand, 13.5 m, 24/04/2012, ICML-UNAM 10516); Mazunte (1 specimen, sand, 17/04/2008, MHN 005-4299; 2 specimens, sand, 20/02/2009, ICML-UNAM 10171); Estacahuite (5 specimens, sand, 17/04/2008, MHN 005-4324; 3 specimens, sand, 19/02/2009, ICML-UNAM 10168); La Mina (4 specimens, sand, 17/04/2008, MHN 005-4334; 2 specimens, sand, 19/02/2009, MHN 005-4318); Boquilla (3 specimens, 19/09/2008, MHN 005-4336; 1 specimen, stony coral, 6.3 m, 08/09/2010, ICML-UNAM 10278); Tijera (2 specimens, sand, 16/04/2008, MHN 005-4291); San Agustín (1 specimen, sand, 6.4 m, 15/09/2007, MHN 005-4366); Dos Hermanas (3 specimens, sand, 08/08/2011, ICML-UNAM 10423); Pomelo (4 specimens, sand, 8.8 m, 21/10/2011, ICML-UNAM 10445); Isla Cacaluta (2 specimens, sand, 05/12/2008, MHN 005-4368); Órgano (1 specimen, sand, 08/08/2011, ICML-UNAM 10430); Manzanilla (2 specimens, sand, 03/12/2008, MHN 005-4301); Isla Montosa (3 specimens, stony coral, 3.6 m, 22/02/2010, MHN 005-4390); Guerrilla (2 specimens, sand, 4.9 m, 18/05/2012, ICML-UNAM 10537); Copalita (24 specimens, sand, 9.1 m, 18/05/2012, ICML-UNAM 10531).