Ophiopteron atlanticum Koehler, 1914

Glück, Franziska U., Stöhr, Sabine, Bochert, Ralf & Zettler, Michael L., 2012, Brittle stars (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea) from the continental shelf off Angola and Namibia, Zootaxa 3475, pp. 1-20 : 14

Ophiopteron atlanticum Koehler, 1914

Fig. 5 E, F

West African records. Koehler 1914: 212; Cadenat 1938: 358; A. M. Clark 1955: 49; Cherbonnier 1957: 163; Longhurst 1958: 99; Tommasi 1967: 541; Madsen 1970: 218; Alva & Vadon 1989: 833.

Material examined. St. 66: dredge sampling, 9°33.702´S, 13°06.018´E; 2 specimens, 3–3.5 mm. Depth: 20 m.

Diagnosis. The presence of long and erect arms spines connected by a thin skin is a striking and reliable identifying character of the genus Ophiopteron . The disc of Ophiopteron atlanticum is armed with bayonet-like spinelets, spines or thorns, but armature is absent on the radial shields and the centrodorsal plate or only sparsely covering these. The jaw bears a compact cluster of small apical spines but no lateral oral papillae.

Distribution. Northern West Africa: Senegal and southwards, southern West Africa: just to the south of Luanda, Angola (9°S) and northwards. It is the first time that this species was found as far south off Angola as described here. The previous southernmost boundary was Musserra (7°S). Ophiopteron atlanticum has a depth range of 11 to 120 m.

Figures

FIGURE 5. A, B, Ophiolepis affinis; A, dorsal aspect; B, ventral aspect. C, D, Ophiolepis paucispina; C, dorsal aspect; D, ventral aspect. E, F, Ophiopteron atlanticum; E, dorsal aspect; F, ventral aspect. Scale bars 1 mm.