Ophiophyllum teplium, Mcknight, Donald G., 2003

Mcknight, Donald G., 2003, New brittle­stars (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea) from New Zealand waters, Zootaxa 352, pp. 1-36 : 30-31

Ophiophyllum teplium n. sp. Fig. 5 E, F.

Material examined: NIWA Stn Z10692 (1).

Depth Distribution: 1035–1040 m.

Geographic Distribution: This species is only known from just north of the Chatham Rise, on the Graveyard Seamount.

Description: Disc diameter 7 mm, 4 arms are broken at base, the fifth broken at the distal end of the 8th arm segment, length 7 mm; disc is fractured in two interradii.

Disc pentagonal in outline, domed above, flat below; dorsal surface of arms carinate, sharply triangular in section. Centre of disc covered with small, round or ovoid scales (plates), which are tumid; primary plates not apparent; a distally narrowing wedge of scales extend between paired radial shields, scales becoming slightly larger towards disc margin and last is largest of all. In dorsal interradii scales extend about halfway to margin where a larger plate is present, followed by one much larger, which extends to the marginal fringe; it is much longer than wide, and widens distally. Radial shields large and conspicuous, divergent and separated throughout, they are triangular, the length about 1.25 the distal width, proximal point acute, lateral margins straight and distal slightly curved. Margins of disc fringed with 13–14 small flat scales, attached at proximal ends only; scales are closely spaced and usually overlap; outer end may be slightly widened and base is opaque, while free portion is translucent with fine longitudinal striations. These plates become slightly longer towards the arm base. Ventral surface of disc with two transverse rows of small flat plates. Genital clefts narrow, extending to second lateral armplate, about 2/3 distance to margin, curving inwards proximally to margin part of oral shield; neither border with any ornamentation. Genital scale narrow, extending to margin. Oral shield wider than long, with rounded angles. Adoral shields long and narrow, meeting within, extending beyond the oral shield and separating it from the first lateral armplate. A very small, barely visible triangular plate lies just proximal to the adoral shields, between the oral plates, which touch only near their tips. A single pointed apical papilla at tip of jaw, length variable; dorsally, on 2 jaws are 1–2 pointed similar teeth are evident; 7–10 short oral papillae on side of jaw, proximal 2–3 pointed, others becoming flat and truncate, increasing in length distally, distal is largest of all. Second oral tentacle­pore opens beside first ventral armplate, entirely outside oral slit.

Arms carinate from base, dorsal armplates small, first 2 about as wide as long, first just incising the larger dorsal disc plate between the outer ends of radial shields; third plate is triangular; all 3 contiguous. Remaining dorsal armplates damaged with outlines indistinct. Lateral armplates large occupying most of dorsal arm surface; meeting on ventral midline from second; first lateral plate very short, barely visible outside radial shields; on the angular lateral margin is a small flattened spine, terminating in a blunt point, and longitudinally striate, like those at the margin; near its base is a very fine elongate pointed spine; flat spine is a little larger than the adjacent plate of the marginal fringe and could be mistaken for one; successive lateral plates have both forms of spines, though upper is sometimes dislodged or broken. The spine base is widened, but the accompanying tubercle is very small and could easily be overlooked. First and second ventral armplates contiguous, both longer than wide, remainder separated, small, wider than long with a small proximal point, distal margin slightly convex. Tentacle­pores large and conspicuous, no tentacle­scale.

Colour: (Preserved specimen) pale light brown above and below.

Etymology: The species name, teplium , an anagram of petilum .

Holotype: Deposited in the NIWA collection, Wellington No. H­829 (Stn Z10692 ).

Remarks: This new species differs from O. petilum Lyman , the type species, in having a domed disc, with small tumid plates centrally and radially; a shorter genital cleft, an ovoid oral shield, and dimorphic armspines, the lower short, flattened and bluntly pointed, the upper very slender. While this upper spine could easily be lost in an abraded specimen, the domed disc, ovoid oral shield and shorter genital cleft separate this new species from O. petilum Lyman 1878 , the type species, while O. borbonica Vadon & Guille 1984 , O, concinnus Litvinova 1981, and O. marginatus A.H. Clark 1916 , have 7–9.

Figures

FIGURE 5: Ophiocten cryptum n. sp. holotype, disc diameter 7.5 mm. A: dorsal, B: ventral. Ophiomidas aurum, n. sp. holotype, disc diameter 4.5 mm. C: dorsal, D: ventral. Ophiophyllum teplium n. sp, holotype, disc diameter 7 mm. E: dorsal, F: ventral.