Ophionereis fusca Brock, 1888

Okanishi, Masanori & Fujita, Yoshihisa, 2019, A comprehensive taxonomic list of brittle stars (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea) from submarine caves of the Ryukyu Islands, southwestern Japan, with a description of a rare species, Dougaloplus echinatus (Amphiuridae), Zootaxa 4571 (1), pp. 73-98 : 84

Ophionereis fusca Brock, 1888

[Japanese name: Kurosuji-amime-kumohitode]

( Fig. 8D )

Ophionereis fusca Brock 1888: 536 .— Koehler 1898: 119; 1904: 72–73, fig. 27; 1930: 201.— Lütken & Mortensen 1899: 164.— H. L. Clark 1915: 289.— A. M. Clark 1953: 69, 78–80, fig. 5, 6.— A. M. Clark & Rowe 1971: 88, 122.— Rowe & Gates 1995: 408.— Price & Rowe 1996: 77.

Material examined. Okinawa Island (RUMF-ZE-02048[1], RUMF-ZE-02049[1], RUMF-ZE-02050[3]): “entrance” of the “Hedo-Dome” cave, under rocks or coral rubble, approximately 12 m depth, 21 May 2017 (RUMF-ZE-02048), 22 May 2017 (RUMF-ZE-02049, RUMF-ZE-02050).

Distribution. East Indies, north to western Australia; Philippines; Japan. Depth range 10– 341 m.

Remarks. This species is identified as Ophionereis fusca by virtue of: having genital papillae continuing onto the aboral surface; wide rectangular dorsal arm plates; small supplementary dorsal arm plates; and prominent black dots on aboral disc scales, oral shields, adoral shields, and dorsal and ventral arm plates on proximal portion of the arms (e.g. A. M. Clark & Rowe, 1971).

Figures

FIGURE 8. Aboral views of living specimens. A, Ophiothrix purpurea von Martens, 1867 (RUMF-ZE-02042); B, Ophiothrix aff. picteti (RUMF-ZE-02044); C, Ophionereis dubia amoyensis A. M. Clark, 1953 (RUMF-ZE-02046); D, Ophionereis fusca Brock, 1888 (RUMF-ZE-02049); E, Ophionereis porrecta Lyman, 1860 (RUMF-ZE-02054); F, Ophionereis tigris H. L. Clark, 1938 (RUMF-ZE-02045); G, Ophiolepis cavitata Okanishi & Fujita, 2018a (RUMF-ZE-02059); H, Ophiolepis cincta Müller & Troschel, 1842 (RUMF-ZE-02058).