Shallow-water brittle stars (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea) from Araçá Bay (Southeastern Brazil), with spatial distribution considerations
Author
Alitto, Renata A. S.
Author
Bueno, Maristela L.
Author
Guilherme, Pablo D. B.
Author
Domenico, Maikon Di
Author
Christensen, Ana Beardsley
Author
Borges, Michela
text
Zootaxa
2018
2018-04-06
4405
1
1
66
journal article
30325
10.11646/zootaxa.4405.1.1
55df350b-41c6-4f2e-9a18-c0be6d47498b
1175-5326
3097993
D33BF380-5AF7-4645-86C7-9981C528EAF0
Genus
Ophiophragmus
Lyman, 1865
Type taxon.
Ophiophragmus wurdemanii
(
Lyman, 1860
)
, originally described as
Amphiura wurdemanii
.
Diagnosis.
Disc with scales dorsally and ventrally. Radial shields partially or entirely joined. Fence of papillae at the edge of the disc interradius. Two lateral oral papillae, distal slightly larger than the proximal. Dorsal arm plates usually as wide as long. One to three tentacle scales. Three arm spines (
Lyman 1865
;
Thomas 1962
;
Tommasi 1970
;
Albuquerque 1986
).
Comments.
The genus
Ophiophragmus
was proposed for species of
Amphiura
possessing a fence of papillae at the edge of the disc (
Lyman 1865
). This is the most helpful diagnostic feature for the genus (
Clark 1918
). However, other morphological characteristics must be examined as these structures can be confused with the uppermost series of plates on the dorsal interradial areas of some
Amphiodia
(
Clark 1918
)
. The shape of arm spines, oral shields, and dorsal arm plates are also regarded as diagnostic features for the genus (
Clark 1918
;
Thomas 1962
).
Ophiophragmus
presently includes 18 species (
Stöhr
et al
. 2016
) with seven being recorded from
Brazil
(
Barboza & Borges 2012
):
O. brachyactis
H.L.
Clark, 1915
,
O. cubanus
(A. H. Clark, 1917)
,
O. filograneus
(
Lyman, 1875
)
,
O. luetkeni
(Ljungman, 1871)
,
O. pulcher
H. L.
Clark, 1918
,
O. septus
(
Lütken, 1859
)
and
O. wurdemanii
(
Lyman, 1860
)
.