Ophiocoma pusilla (BROCK, 1888) complex

(UF-6596, Fig. 4 f, KU594364)

Material. 1 spm, St. 2; 1 spm, St. 5

Remarks. This small species (DD<1cm) is easily distinguished from other Ophiocoma by its angular dorsal arm plates and its thinner, hollow arm spines. COI sequence data indicates that SWIO populations are deeply divergent from populations in W Australia and the Pacific (Boissin et al. in revision). The type locality lies in the W Pacific (Ambon, Olbers & Samyn 2012), thus we attribute these specimens to the species complex. Abundance: 1.

Distribution. An uncommon species that is nevertheless widespread from the Red Sea to the Pitcairn Islands across the IWP (Clark & Rowe 1971, Devaney 1970); previously reported from Réunion (Guille & Ribes 1981).