Ophiectodia Verrill, 1899

Ophiacantha (Ophiectodia) Verrill, 1899: 42 [type Ophiacantha enopla Verrill, 1885 designated herein].

TYPE SPECIES. Ophiectodia enopla

COMPARATIVE MATERIAL EXAMINED. Ophiodiplax antarctica (Koehler, 1901): US AMLR-09/40-29, South Orkney Islands, 61° 0.78´S, 44° 53.73´W to 60° 59.89´S, 44° 52.44´W, 265– 254 m, 17/2/2009 , MV F168812 (DNA code=F168812). Ophiolebes bacata Koehler, 1921: CE13008/36, Rockall Trough, ‘ North’ Canyon, 54° 3.19´N, 12° 32.45´W, 1361 m , 6/2013, NUI (DNA code= NUI1402 A). Ophiolebes felli O’Hara & Thuy, 2022: SS10/2005/44, Albany, 35° 26.046´S, 118° 21´E to 35° 26.244´S, 118° 21.06´E, 900–915 m, 25/11/2005 , MV F112106 (DNA code=F112106). Ophiolebes vestitus Lyman, 1878: Talud Continental 1/11, Mar del Plata Submarine Canyon, 37° 59.258´S, 54° 41.436´W, 854 m, 11/8/2012 , CNP-INV (DNA code=L11D). Ophiolebes yaldwyni Fell, 1958: TAN1104/9, Clark Seamount, south flank, 36° 30.252´S, 177° 52.62´E to 36° 30.108´S, 177° 52.392´E, 1583– 1576 m, 3/3/2011 , NIWA 72089 (DNA code=72089).

Remarks. Ophiacantha is a polyphyletic taxon. The type species is O. bidentata but most Ophiacantha species are not closely related to this species, and they are separated from the type species on our phylogeny by other genera. This includes a clade of species related to O. enopla and O. veterna with a disc covering of minute granules, minute tentacle scales, and 3–4 oral papillae. We resurrect the genus-level name Ophiectodia Verrill, 1899 for this clade of species. Verrill never nominated a type species but included 3 species ( O. enopla, O. rosea and O. spectabilis) in his genus. The only specimens he had to hand were O. enopla, which we designate as the type species. The species O. rosea and O. spectabilis are now considered to belong to Ophiosabine and Ophiotreta respectively. Other described species in our DNA clade include O. imago Lyman, 1878 from Kerguelen and the 6–7 armed O. opulenta Koehler, 1908 from the Antarctic lower bathyal.

The sister clade to Ophiectodia is Ophiolebes . The sister lineage to these two clades is O. antarctica Koehler, 1901 for which we further resurrect the available genus-level name Ophiodiplax Koehler, 1911 .