Ophiocomella sexradia ( Duncan, 1887 )

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 : 84-85

Ophiocomella sexradia ( Duncan, 1887)

Fig. 4

Ophiocnida sexradia Duncan, 1887: 92 , pl. 8, figs 10, 11.

Ophiocomella sexradia — Devaney 1970: 29–31 ; O’Hara et al. 2019: 68.

Material examined: Persian Gulf, Iran, Qeshm Island, intertidal, hand collected, February 2019, collector Yaser Fatemi, 1 spm, 3.9 mm dd [SMNH-178932].

Habitat: Intertidal hard bottom (present study) ( Fig. 2F ).

Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman: Qeshm Island (10), new record (present study).

Indian Ocean: West Indian Ocean and Red Sea ( Clark & Rowe 1971), Mozambique ( Clark & Courtman-Stock 1976), Madagascar ( Cherbonnier & Guille 1978), Seychelles ( Clark 1984), Gulf of Mannar ( James 1988), Mascarene Isl. ( Boissin et al. 2016), South Africa ( Olbers et al. 2019).

Remarks: This species shares with Ophiactis savignyi the hexamerous body symmetry and banded color pattern. It can be distinguished by the numerous conical dorsal disc granules, three oral papillae and a cluster of tooth papillae. O’Hara et al. (2019) suggested that all hexamerous species of Ophiocomella ( O. ophiactoides (H. L. Clark, 1900) , O. schmitti A. H. Clark, 1939 , O. sexradia ) may form an asexually reproducing complex with wide distribution, rather than separate species. The name O. sexradia has priority.

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 4. Live photos of Ophiocomella sexradia [SMNH-178932], Persian Gulf, Qeshm Island. A, dorsal aspect, B, ventral aspect, C, dorsal disc, D, oral frame, E, dorsal arm, F, ventral arm.