Morphological diagnoses of higher taxa in Ophiuroidea (Echinodermata) in support of a new classification
Stöhr, Sabine
Hugall, Andrew F.
Thuy, Ben
Martynov, Alexander
European Journal of Taxonomy
2018
2018-03-21
416
1
35
Ljungman, 1867
Ljungman
1867
[627,849,1886,1912]
Ophiuroidea
Ophiodermatidae
Animalia
Ophiurida
13
14
Echinodermata
family
Typegenus Ophioderma Müller & Troschel, 1840( typespecies: O. longicauda( Bruzelius, 1805)). Other genera BathypectinuraH.L. Clark, 1909b, CryptopeltaH.L. Clark, 1909b, DiopedermaH.L. Clark, 1913, Ophiarachnella Ljungman, 1872, Ophiochasma Grube, 1868, OphiocormusH.L. Clark, 1915a, OphiocryptusH.L. Clark, 1915b, Ophiocypris Koehler, 1930, Ophiomidas Koehler, 1904, Ophiopsammus Lütken, 1869.
Diagnosis Dorsal disc covered with granules. Dental plate fragmented, with finely meshed stereom, tooth sockets as broadly oval, not penetrating depressions with swollen borders, small tooth cluster on ventral end. Lateral arm plate with two proximal spurs, visible on external and internal surface.Arm spine articulation with weak sigmoidal fold, sunken in notches of distal plate edge.
Remarks Ophiarachnellais polyphyletic and requires revision. The typespecies O. gorgonia Müller & Troschel, 1842, however, is a confirmed ophiodermatid ( O’Hara et al.2017).