Brittle stars (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea) from the continental shelf off Angola and Namibia
Author
Glück, Franziska U.
Author
Stöhr, Sabine
Author
Bochert, Ralf
Author
Zettler, Michael L.
text
Zootaxa
2012
3475
1
20
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.282230
bb15ffdf-3104-4e60-932b-77e650707a27
1175-5326
282230
Amphipholis squamata
(
Delle Chiaje, 1828
)
Fig. 2
G, H
West African records.
Koehler 1914
: 194;
A. M. Clark 1955
: 38;
Longhurst 1958
: 100;
Madsen 1970
: 202;
Alva & Vadon 1989
: 834.
Material examined.
St. 4B: grab sampling,
13°57.672´S
,
12°21.870´E
;
1 specimen
,
2 mm
. St. BE13: dredge sampling,
15°17.562´S
,
12°00.030´E
;
1 specimen
,
3.5 mm
. St. BE17: grab and dredge sampling,
17°18.946´S
,
11°43.389´E
;
36 specimens
,
1–4 mm
. St. BE30: grab and dredge sampling,
17°23.415´S
,
11°43.432´E
;
31 specimens
,
1–4 mm
. St. BE02: grab and dredge sampling,
18°11.442´S
,
11°50.478´E
;
4 specimens
,
1.5–3 mm
. St. BE01: grab sampling,
18°23.118´S
,
11°55.290´E
;
2 specimens
,
1.8 mm
. Depth:
26–
84 m
.
Diagnosis.
The two infradental papillae on each jaw angle are somewhat rounded. The oral papillae are arranged in a continuous series with the distal one being at least twice as broad as the other ones. The disc is smooth and typically carries a rosette of primary plates. The oral shields are rhombic. There are two scales at each tentacle pore.
Distribution.
Amphipholis squamata
, as currently delimited, is widespread in temperate and tropical seas. It occurs along the entire West African coast, moreover in the Mediterranean Sea and the eastern Atlantic from
Iceland
to
South Africa
. During our cruises it was found only south of 13°S. It occurs from the littoral zone down to
1200 m
.
Amphipholis squamata
is most likely a species complex (
Boissin et al. 2008
) and so the actual distribution of each putative cryptic species may be more limited.