Ophiolepis affinis Studer, 1882

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 : 12

Ophiolepis affinis Studer, 1882

Fig. 5A, B

West African records. Studer 1882: 6; Koehler 1914: 175; Cherbonnier 1957: 170; 1963: 186; Longhurst 1958: 100; Tommasi 1967: 546; Madsen 1970: 234.

Material examined. St. 87: dredge sampling, 7°14.184´S, 12°46.026´E; 18 specimens, 3–8.5 mm. Depth: 27 m.

Diagnosis. There is a single unpaired apical papilla at the apex of the jaw. The naked disc and arms are firmly fused together. There are supplementary latero-dorsal arm plates in addition to the regular dorsal arm plates. Arm spines are short and closely appressed. Fairly large radial shields are separated from the primary plates by generally only a single series of disc plates. In general the disc is of a smooth appearance.

Distribution. Northern West Africa: Sierra Leone and southwards, southern West Africa: Angola and northwards. At depths between 7 and 110 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.