Macrophiothrix hirsuta cheneyi ( Lyman, 1861 )

Fatemi, Yaser & Stöhr, Sabine, 2019, Annotated species list of Ophiuroidea (Echinodermata) from the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, with new records, Zootaxa 4711 (1), pp. 77-106 : 89

Macrophiothrix hirsuta cheneyi ( Lyman, 1861)

Fig. 7

Ophiothrix cheneyi Lyman, 1861: 84 .

Macrophiothrix hirsuta cheneyi —A. M. Clark 1968: 284–285 , 296–298.

Material examined: Gulf of Oman, Iran, Tis, intertidal, hand collected, January 2019, collector Yaser Fatemi, 6 spms, 11.3–17.4 mm dd [SMNH-178934]. Red Sea, collector Jägerskiöld 1901, 3 spms [SMNH- 170461]. Zanzibar, 2 spms [SMNH-169872].

Habitat: Under rocks on mixed rock and sand tidal flat, 0–5 m ( Price 1983; Jones 1986; Khalegi et al. 2015; Attaran Fariman et al. 2016; present study).

Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman: Tis (16), Tarut Bay (25), Kuwait (ibid.) ( Fig. 2E ).

Indian Ocean: Tanzania ( Ludwig 1899), Mozambique ( Balinsky 1957), Red Sea ( Clark 1968), South Africa and Tanzania ( Clark & Courtman-Stock 1976), east African coast, Red Sea ( Clark & Rowe 1971), Mozambique ( Clark 1980).

Remarks: This subspecies has a light longitudinal line along the arms, bordered by thinner dark lines. These are absent in the other subspecies M. hirsuta hirsuta , which appears to be restricted to the Red Sea and adjacent Indian Ocean ( Clark 1968). Hoggett (1990) and A. M. Clark (1968) pointed out that M. hirsuta cheneyi and M. elongata are similar in morphology and geographical distribution. According to A. M. Clark (1968) the arm length differs (20x dd in M. elongata , 10x in M. h. cheneyi ), and Hoggett (1990) points out that the tuberculous dorsal arm plates in M. hirsuta and its subspecies are a distinguishing character. Our specimens have arms about 8– 9x dd long and tuberculous arm plates. Consecutive dorsal arm plates are also broadly in contact with one another, which has been suggested to differentiate M. h. cheneyi from M. h. hirsuta ( Price 1983) . All records of M. hirsuta from the study area are most likely M. hirsuta cheneyi . Whether the subspecific division of M. hirsuta should be maintained needs to be examined further, preferably including molecular techniques.

Records of M. hirsuta from East Africa by Ludwig (1899) and Balinsky (1957) were referred to M. hirsuta cheneyi by A. M. Clark (1968). The record of M. elongata by Attaran-Fariman et al. (2016) is included here after re-identification based on their images.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Habitats at the sites where brittle stars were collected by the present study (see Table 1). A, Bandar Lengeh, B, Bustaneh, C, Chabahar Bay (Hotel Lipar), D, Chabahar Bay (University coast), E, Chabahar Bay (Tis), F, Qeshm Island.

FIGURE 7. Color morphs of Macrophiothrix hirsuta cheneyi [SMNH-178934], Gulf of Oman. A–F, specimen with marbled disc, A–C, alive, D–F, in ethanol, A, dorsal aspect of whole animal, B, dorsal disc, C, oral frame and ventral arms, D, dorsal arm, E, rough dorsal arm plate structure, F, disc spines, distal end of radial shields, G, H, specimen with dark disc, live photos, G, dorsal aspect, H, ventral aspect.