Ophiophycis johni McKnight, 2003

Stöhr, Sabine, 2011, New records and new species of Ophiuroidea (Echinodermata) from Lifou, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia, Zootaxa 3089, pp. 1-50 : 28

Ophiophycis johni McKnight, 2003

Ophiophycis aff. guillei – Vadon 1991: 339 –341, figs 3, 4, 15–17.

Material. Sta. DW1650C: 1 spm.

Remarks. The specimen reported by Vadon (1991) is similar to O. johni according to the images and here proposed as conspecific. The species is separated from O. guillei Vadon, 1991 by a smaller disk size, fewer proximal arm joints incorporated into the disk, fewer tentacle pores, dorsal arm plates and enlarged lateral arm plates. Vadon (1991) considered that these characters may be caused by the small size of her specimens (2–4 mm dd) compared to the holotype of O. guillei (6 mm dd) and refrained from describing them as a separate species. McKnight's (2003) specimen was with 5.5 mm dd almost as large as O. guillei , which suggestst that these characters are indeed species specific. The Lifou specimen is with 2.8 mm dd comparable to Vadon's specimens. It is clearly identified by its distinctely stellate (five-lobed) centrodorsal plate, the swollen disk plates and the glass bead-like structure of the plates.

Distribution. This new record extends the depth range to a shallow 200–260 m, whereas previous New Caledonian records were collected at 410–1640 m. In New Zealand waters the species was found at 985–1000 m.