Ophiogeron granulatus? ( Lyman, 1883 )

Madeira, Patrícia, Kroh, Andreas, Cordeiro, Ricardo, De, António M., Martins, Frias & Ávila, Sérgio P., 2019, The Echinoderm Fauna of the Azores (NE Atlantic Ocean), Zootaxa 4639 (1), pp. 1-231 : 44-45

Ophiogeron granulatus? ( Lyman, 1883)

Reports for the Azores:

non Ophiogeron edentulus Lyman, 1878 —? $ Lyman 1882: 237, pl. 12, figs. 16–18 [misidentification];

Astrogeron supinus ( Lyman, 1883) —? $ Koehler 1909: 199, pl. 29, fig. 7; Mortensen 1927a: 167; García-Diez et al. 2005: 48.

Type locality: Martinique (Caribbean Sea) .

See: Lyman (1883: 269–270, as Ophiosciasma granulatum ); H.L. Clark (1941: 70–71).

Occurrence: West Atlantic; restricted to the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean waters ( Lyman 1883; Lyman in Koehler 1914a), but possibly extending to the Azores.

Depth: 95–511 m in the West Atlantic (Lyman in Koehler 1914a);? AZO: 1,250 –1,647 m ( Lyman 1883, Koehler 1909).

Habitat: soft bottoms with coral and broken shells ( Lyman 1883; Lyman in Koehler 1914a).

Remarks: Lyman (1878) described Ophiogeron edentulus based on the material collected by H.M.S. Challenger at a station located in South Pacific waters. Later, Lyman (1882) added material from another H.M.S. Challenger station to this species, now located in the Azores (sta 76: 38°11’N, 27°09’W, 1,647 m). Mortensen (1927a) believed that the material from this Atlantic station belonged most probably to the Caribbean species O. granulatus (= Astrogeron supinus ). The report of this West Atlantic species in the Azores by Koehler (1909) appears to support this supposition. Furthermore, the present knowledge of O. edentulus is still limited to the type material. In view of this, we are inclined to agree with Mortensen and consider O. edentulus as restricted to the Pacific waters and thus, tentatively regard Lyman’s record of O. edentulus as misidentification. On the other hand, the record of Ophiogeron granulatus (= Astrogeron supinus ) in the Azores by Koehler (1909) was based on a small and poorly preserved specimen collected by Princesse Alice (sta 1349: 38°35’30”N, 28°05’45”W, 1,250 m) at a depth below the normal range for this species. Overall, both H.M.S. Challenger and Princesse Alice reports place O. granulatus outside its normal geographical and bathymetric range. Thus, the identity of the Azorean material with Ophiogeron granulatus should be viewed with caution until new material collected in area can confirm the historical reports.