New record of brittle star from south eastern Arabian Sea

Amphiura (Amphiura) constricta, ventral view of disc

Phylum: Echinodermata

Class: Ophiuroidea Gray, 1840

Order: Ophiurida Müller & Troschel, 1840

Family: Amphiuridae Ljungman, 1867

Amphiura (Amphiura) constricta Lyman, 1879

Collection: SE Arabian Sea shelf, off Trivandrum-Kannur, 52-106 m. Trivandrum – 8° 24.983′ N, 76° 32.466′ E, 106 m, 30.8.2011 (FORVSS 289, St. 16). Kannur – 11° 59.52′ N, 74° 57.18′ E, 52 m, 8.10.2014 (FORVSS 330, St. 13). Naturalist dredge and Smith-McIntyre grab.

Voucher No.: CMLRE IO/SS/ECD/00123 (FORV Referral Centre, CMLRE, Kochi)

Description: Disc diameter 3-5 mm, arms about 7-8 times this length, disc covered entirely with small imbricating scales; radial shields narrow, elongate, over thrice as long as wide; primary rosettes distinct. Oral shields spear-head shaped, with a small distal prolongation; one, long, spine-like distal oral papilla on each side. One tentacle scale. Six arm spines at the base of the arm, the second ventral most spine with a small, glassy, distally directed hook; dorsal spine larger than the rest. Colour white.

Biological association: None.

Remarks:

Distribution: SE Arabian Sea, North Australia, Philippines.

Distribution map:

Map showing locations of previous records (circle) and present record from Indian waters (square) of Amphiura (Amphiura) constricta

Identified by: Parameswaran, Usha V.

Publication: Parameswaran U. V., V. N. Sanjeevan, Abdul Jaleel K. U., Vinu Jacob, Aiswarya Gopal, Anil Kumar V., M. Sudhakar (2017) An updated checklist of echinoderms of the South Eastern Arabian Sea, Marine Biodiversity. DOI: 10.1007/s12526-017-0732-1.

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