Ophiolycus farquhari, Mcknight, Donald G., 2003

Mcknight, Donald G., 2003, New brittle­stars (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea) from New Zealand waters, Zootaxa 352, pp. 1-36 : 5-6

Ophiolycus farquhari n.sp. Fig. 1 . C, D.

Material examined: NIWA Stns B314 (1); R437 (1); Z10813 (4); Z10816 (1).

Depth Distribution: 236– 800 m.

Geographic Distribution: This species is recorded from central New Zealand, on both east and west coasts, and also from Rumble 5, an active submarine volcano, off the Bay of Plenty.

Description: Holotype specimen, NIWA Stn R437: disc diameter 6 mm, arms about 25 mm long. Disc pentagonal in outline, more or less flat, margin rounded; covered with skin, when dried is finely scaled above and below; radial shields evident at arm base, exposed portion ovoid, longer than wide. Ventral surface of disc with fine scaling; genital clefts, extending 3/4 distance to margin, interradial border with enlarged scales. Oral shield wider than long, bluntly pointed proximally, rounded laterally and distally. Adoral shields meet broadly within, and to just beyond mid­length of oral shield.

Second oral tentacle­pore conspicuous, opening more or less outside oral slit; below tentacle­pore, i.e. deeper on oral slit, are 1–2 small, spiniform papillae; 6–7 small, pointed oral papillae along side of jaw, outer 3 near proximal margin of the tentacle­pore; 1 similar apical papilla at tip of jaw.

Arms broadly rounded above, slightly flattened below. Dorsal armplates in contact and entire throughout, longer than wide, widest at about 2/3 length of plate, proximal margin concave, lateral margins straight, distal margin well rounded. Lateral armplates visible from above. Two or three pointed, flattened armspines at armbase, sometimes alternating 2 and 3; uppermost spine (about 1 segment in length) longest and widest; beyond proximal 1/3 of arm, usually 2 spines, sometimes 3, the upper 1–2 the shortest. Near arm­tip the 2 spines are small, denticulate, and weakly hooked at the tip; where 3 spines occur, uppermost is similar or sometimes not modified. Two very small, flattened tentacle­scales placed just proximal to lowest armspine. Ventral armplates in contact throughout, rarely some plates may be separated; plates longer than wide, proximal plates have short, concave proximal margin; distal plates with a proximal point; lateral margins slightly concave at tentacle­pore, distal margin rounded, wider than proximal.

Colour: (Preserved specimens) dull uniform creamy­white dorsally and on ventral surface of arms, light grayish at margin and on ventral surface of disc.

Etymology: Named for H. Farquhar, an early worker on New Zealand echinoderms.

Holotype: Deposited in the NIWA collection, Wellington No. H­818 (Stn R437).

Paratypes: Deposited in the NIWA collection, Wellington No. P­1369 (Stn Z10813 ).

Remarks: This species differs from both O. dentatus Lyman and O. purpureus Duben and Koren in having entire dorsal armplates even at the arm base, spiniform rather than flattened outer oral papillae on the margin of the oral tentacle­pore and 2 small tentaclescales for most of the arm.

Figures

FIGURE 1: Ophiolebes comatulina n. sp. holotype, disc diameter 5 mm. A: dorsal, B: ventral. Ophiolycus farquhari n. sp. disc diameter 6 mm. C: dorsal, D: ventral. Ophiolepis biscalata n. sp. holotype, disc diameter 16 mm. E: dorsal, F: ventral.