Ophionereis fasciata Hutton, 1872

Mills, V. Sadie & O'Hara, Timothy D., 2013, Ophiuroids (Echinodermata; Ophiuroidea) of biogenic habitats on the continental shelf of New Zealand, Zootaxa 3613 (5), pp. 401-444 : 430-431

Ophionereis fasciata Hutton, 1872

( Fig. 13a )

Ophionereis fasciata Hutton, 1872: 2 .—Mortensen, 1924: 164–168, fig. 30.—Nielsen, 1932: fig. 26a–b.—Fell, 1952: 23.—Fell, 1960b: 69.—McKnight, 1967a: 306.— Baker, 1977: 154.—Fenwick & Horning, 1980: 440.—McKnight, 1993b: 194, 199.

Ophionereis schayeri .—Farquhar, 1895: 197–198.—Farquhar, 1907: 124.—Clark, H.L., 1915: 289 (in part) [Non Ophionereis schayeri (Müller J & Troschel F H, 1844) ; see Mortensen, 1924].

Material Examined. North Canterbury. TAN1108/39, NIWA 74208 (1). Otago. TAN1108/66, NIWA 74366 (14). TAN1108/67, NIWA 77662 (1). TAN1108/148, NIWA 74981 (1). Stewart Island. TAN1108/77, NIWA 74489 (80).

Description. Disc diameter up to 16 mm. Disc patterned with random blotches of black on a lighter grey/ brown, radial shields and surrounding scales often black. Radial shields small (1/16 dd) and separated by 5–6 rows of disc plates. Disc scales larger at disc margin and bordering radial shields. Finer, smaller disc scales towards centre of disc and inter-radially. Fine ventral disc scaling, with same patterning of light grey/brown with black blotches, black scales proximal to oral plates. Genital slit turned out at proximal end with white pointed spine-like genital papillae. Slit extends to disc margin. Rounded diamond shape oral shield. Adoral shields narrowly meeting in small specimens, do not meet in larger specimens. Square oral papillae, 4th distal-most widest.

Patterning on dorsal arm plates: frequent black bands and infrequent white bands placed down light brown arm. Sometimes faint white line running down midline of arm. Dorsal arm plates hexagonal. Accessory dorsal arm plates large, easily occupying 1/3 to 1/4 width of dorsal arm surface, consistent through arm. Ventral arm with banded pattern, pale cream with occasional dark arm plate. Ventral arm plates pentagonal with a slight notch in distal edge. Large single oval tentacle scale. Four arm spines at disc edge, 3 arm spines from 12–13th segment. Arm spines all similar length proximally, but after 8th arm segment middle-ventral arm spine longer than the rest. Banding pattern present on arm spines, pale cream with 1–2 dark bands. Arm spines blunt and flattened.

Distribution. New Zealand (0–305 m).

Figures

FIGURE 13. a: Ophionereis fasciata Hutton, 1872 (NIWA 74208, TAN 1108 / 39) and b: Ophionereis novaezelandiae Mortensen, 1936 (NIWA 55682, TAN 0906 / 99) showing live colour and patterning on the dorsal side of the animals.