Pica Group

Ophiocoma pica MÜLLER ET TROSCHEL, 1842 complex (UF-6627, Fig. 4 e, KU594362)

Material. 1spm, St. 3; 1 spm, St. 5; 2 spms, St. 7

Remarks. This species is easily recognized with its black overall colouration, punctuated by gold dots and lines. COI sequence data indicates that SWIO populations are deeply divergent from populations in W Australia and the Pacific (Boissin et al. in revision). As the type locality is unknown (Olbers & Samyn 2012), we attribute specimens to the species complex. Abundance: 1.

Distribution. Widespread across the IWP to the Hawaiian Islands (Clark & Rowe 1971); previously reported from Réunion (Guille & Ribes 1981) and Mauritius (de Loriol 1893a).