Macrophiothrix cf. belli

Boissin, Emilie, Hoareau, Thierry B., Paulay, Gustav & Bruggemann, J. Henrich, 2016, Shallow-water reef ophiuroids (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea) of Réunion (Mascarene Islands), with biogeographic considerations, Zootaxa 4098 (2), pp. 273-297 : 280

Macrophiothrix cf. belli (DÖDERLEIN, 1896)

(REU-1503)

Material. 1 spm, St. 12

Remarks. The specimen has trapeziform dorsal arm plates, a character shared by only seven species of Macrophiothrix ( Hoggett 2006) . The disc granules are tall and multifid, the radial shields are mostly bare; characters that match most closely with M. belli ( Hoggett 1991; Hoggett 2006). Abundance: 1.

Distribution. This species has previously been recorded only from the Great Barrier Reef; comparison with the type or topotypical material is needed to verify this range extension. This is a new Macrophiothrix species record for Réunion and the Mascarene Islands.