Ophiocoma scolopendrina ( Lamarck, 1816 )

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 : 83

Ophiocoma scolopendrina ( Lamarck, 1816)

Fig. 3

Ophiura scolopendrina Lamarck, 1816: 544 .

Ophiocoma scolopendrina — Agassiz 1836: 192 ; Müller & Troschel 1842: 101.

Material examined: Gulf of Oman, Iran, Chabahar Bay (Hotel Lipar), intertidal, hand collected, January 2019, collector Yaser Fatemi, 3 spms [SMNH-178927]. Persian Gulf, Iran, Bustaneh (n=2), and Bandar Lengeh (n=1) [SMNH-178929], intertidal, hand collected, May 2018, collector Yaser Fatemi, 11.1, 11.5, 14.4 mm dd.

Habitat: Rocky and rock-sandy intertidal flat ( Mortensen 1940; Fatemi et al. 2010; Pourvali et al. 2014; Pourvali 2015; present study) ( Fig. 2 A, B, E ).

Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman: Hengam Island (9), Farur Island (8), Qeshm Island (10), Hormuz Island (12), Chabahar Bay (17), Bustaneh (34), Bandar Lengeh (35) (ibid.).

Indian Ocean: Seychelles ( Taylor & Lewis 1970), Indian Ocean ( Clark & Rowe 1971), southeast of Africa ( Cherbonnier & Guille 1978), Mascarene Isl. ( Boissin et al. 2016), Scattered Isl. ( Conand et al. 2013, 2016), South Africa ( Olbers & Samyn 2012; Olbers et al. 2019).

Remarks: Ophiocoma scolopendrina is characterized by a darker dorsal side (often variegated) and a lighter ventral side that may also be variegated. It has alternating arm spine numbers (3–4) on consecutive and opposite arm joints ( Devaney 1970). This is the first report of O. scolopendrina from the Gulf of Oman.

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 3. Live photos of Ophiocoma scolopendrina (spm not kept), Persian Gulf, Bustaneh, Iran.A, dorsal aspect, B, ventral aspect.