Ophiolepis pacifica Luetken , 1856

Granja-Fernandez, Rebeca, Herrero-Perezrul, Maria D., Lopez-Perez, Ramon A., Hernandez, Luis, Rodriguez-Zaragoza, Fabian A., Jones, Robert Wallace & Pineda-Lopez, Ruben, 2014, Ophiuroidea (Echinodermata) from coral reefs in the Mexican Pacific, ZooKeys 406, pp. 101-145 : 134-135

Ophiolepis pacifica Luetken, 1856 Figure 7 G–L

Description.

Disk rounded (dd = 4 to 10 mm). Disk covered by large scales, surrounded by smaller scales of different sizes and shapes. There is a primary central scale surrounded by five oval scales. Radial shields triangular and distally separated by a row of scales; with a furrow that parallels the margin (Fig. 7J). The ventral interradial area is covered by scales smaller in comparison to the dorsal side (Fig. 7K). Oral shields pentagonal, longer than wide. Madreporite evident. Adoral shields large, triangular, not in contact. Four oral papillae at each side of the jaw; the outer one being the largest (Fig. 7K). Dorsal arm plates wider than long. Accessory dorsal arm plates restricted to the first arm segments (Fig. 7H).Ventral arm plates with distal margin rounded, wider than long. Four to five short and conical arm spines. Two tentacle scales closely equal in size (Fig. 7I). Dorsal side light brown in color; dorsal arm plates with darker transvers bands (Fig. 7G). Ventral side uniformly creamy-white in color (Fig. 7K).

Distribution.

Mexico, Costa Rica and Panama ( Clark HL 1940, Verrill 1867, Honey-Escandón et al. 2008, Alvarado et al. 2010). In Mexico, from the Gulf of California (Sinaloa), Nayarit, Jalisco, Guerrero and Oaxaca ( Caso 1951, Solís-Marín et al. 2005, Honey-Escandón et al. 2008, Granja-Fernández and López-Pérez 2011). From the intertidal zone to 30 m depth ( Maluf 1988). In this study, Ophiolepis pacifica was collected on coral reefs from Guerrero and Oaxaca, from 4.9 to 26 m depth.

Remarks.

Ophiolepis pacifica was described by Lütken (1856) as Ophiolepis but Lyman (1865) transferred this species to the genus Ophiozona Lyman, 1865 based on the absence of the accessory or supplementary dorsal arm plates. Devaney (1974) studied specimens from the Gulf of California which revealed accessory dorsal arm plates; thus the genus Ophiozona was rejected and replaced again by Ophiolepis . We also found small accessory dorsal arm plates in the first arm segments of the collected material and were more evident in larger specimens. Ophiolepis pacifica was collected buried in sand and although Clark HL (1940) reported Ophiolepis pacifica in Pocillopora coral in Jasper Island (Costa Rica), we never found the species associated with coral. In the Eastern Pacific, it is common to find other species of this genus ( Ophiolepis crassa Nielsen 1932, Ophiolepis fulva Clark HL, 1940; Ophiolepis grissea Clark HL, 1940; Ophiolepis variegata Lütken, 1856) associated with sandy and muddy bottoms ( Verrill 1867, Ziesenhenne 1937, Clark HL 1940).

Collected material.

GUERRERO:Morro del Cerro Colorado (2 specimens, sand, 5.5 m, 31/05/2012, ICML-UNAM 10571); Morros de Potosí (4 specimens, sand, 06/03/2009, ICML-UNAM 10204).

OAXACA:Puerto Angelito (1 specimen, sand, 10 m, 23/04/2012, ICML-UNAM 10511); Punto de Presión (1 specimen, sand, 26 m, 22/04/2009, ICML-UNAM 10210); El Faro (1 specimen, sand, 22.9 m, 22/04/2009, ICML-UNAM 10219; 1 specimen, sand, 23/04/2009, ICML-UNAM 10237); Estacahuite (1 specimen, sand, 17/04/2008, MHN 005-4359; 1 specimen, sand, 19/02/2009, MHN 005-4322); La Mina (4 specimens, sand, 17/02/2008, MHN 005-4356); Boquilla (1 specimen, sand, 02/11/2007, MHN 005-4385); San Agustín (2 specimens, sand, 6.1 m, 15/09/2007, MHN 005-4333); Riscalillo (1 specimen, sand, 04/12/2008, MHN 005-4335); Guerrilla (2 specimens, sand, 4.9 m, 18/05/2012, ICML-UNAM 10541); Copalita (1 specimen, sand, 9.1 m, 18/05/2012, ICML-UNAM 10533).