First record of brittle star from the Indian waters

Amphiura (Amphiura) dejectoides

Phylum: Echinodermata

Class: Ophiuroidea Gray, 1840

Order: Amphilepidida O’Hara, Hugall, Thuy, Stöhr & Martynov, 2017

Family: Amphiuridae Matsumoto, 1915

Amphiura (Amphiura) dejectoides H.L. Clark, 1939

Collection: South-western Bay of Bengal — Off Point Calimere, 10° 31.08’ N, 80° 15.00’ E, 114 m (FORVSS391, St.02), 06.11.2019, dredge.

Voucher No.: CMLRE IO/SS/ECD/00051, 00052.

Description: Disc scales fine, imbricating; radial shields long, curved, length about one fourth of disc diameter, separated by 1-2 rows of scales, distally in contact. Oral shields wider than long, quadrangular with rounded angles. Infradental papillae thick, conical, one thin ovate distal oral papilla which is easily lost. Arm spines stout with blunt tips which are sometimes widened or have microscopic spinose projections; numbering up to five basally; dorsal-most spine minute, ventral-most spine longest and stoutest.

Biological association: None.

Remarks: None.

Distribution: South Africa, India: western Bay of Bengal, Australia, Indonesia, Solomon Islands, New Caledonia, Norfolk Ridge, New Zealand; 70–1700 m.

Distribution map:

 

Identified by: Usha V. Parameswaran

Publication: Parameswaran U. V., Gopal A., Abdul Jaleel K. U., Saravanane N. 2021. Nine new records of brittle stars (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea) from Indian waters. Marine Biology Research, 17(5-6): 434-453. DOI: 10.1080/17451000.2021.1967995.

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