Ophiocoma erinaceus MÜLLER & TROSCHEL, 1842

Boissin, Emilie, Hoareau, Thierry B., Paulay, Gustav & Bruggemann, J. Henrich, 2016, Shallow-water reef ophiuroids (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea) of Réunion (Mascarene Islands), with biogeographic considerations, Zootaxa 4098 (2), pp. 273-297 : 284

Ophiocoma erinaceus MÜLLER & TROSCHEL, 1842

(UF-6525, Fig. 4 b,c, KU594361 )

Material. 2 spms, St. 3; 1 spm, St. 7.

Remarks. The specimens concur well with the diagnosis of this species. The colour is black on both sides, while the tube feet are red in life, turning whitish in ethanol. The dorsal arm spines are longer than other spines in large specimens and sometimes club-shaped. Juveniles lack granules on the disc and have cream lines on the radial shields; these were described as O. similanensis Bussarawit and Rowe, 1985 ; but later recognized as juveniles and synonymized ( Price and Rowe 1996). Granules appear gradually with growth, and the cream lines disappear when DD> 11mm. COI sequence data indicates that SWIO populations are moderately divergent from populations in W Australia and the Pacific (Boissin et al. in revision). The type locality of the species is the Red Sea & Indian Ocean ( Olbers & Samyn 2012), thus Réunion specimens are attributable to the nominal form. Abundance: 1.

Distribution. Found in shallow waters across the IWP to the Hawaiian Islands ( Clark & Rowe 1971); previously recorded from Réunion ( Guille & Ribes 1981; Stöhr et al. 2008), Mauritius (de Loriol 1893a) and Rodrigues ( Rowe & Richmond 2004). However old records are unreliable because of past confusion with the sibling species O. schoenleinii and O. cynthiae .

Figures

FIGURE 4. Pictures of species encountered in Réunion Island waters. Pictures were taken of freshly collected specimens except when indicated. Photo credit: BIOTAS.