Ophionereis porrecta

Boissin, Emilie, Hoareau, Thierry B., Paulay, Gustav & Bruggemann, J. Henrich, 2016, Shallow-water reef ophiuroids (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea) of Réunion (Mascarene Islands), with biogeographic considerations, Zootaxa 4098 (2), pp. 273-297 : 286

Ophionereis porrecta LYMAN, 1860 complex sp. 1

(UF-6437, Fig. 4 h, KC760063 )

Material. 1 spm, St. 3; 9 spms, St. 5; 2 spms, St. 7

Remarks. Two colour forms of O. porrecta occur on Réunion and they are genetically deeply divergent indicating that they represent two species. They are treated as sp. 1 and sp. 2 in the O. porrecta complex here. Species 1 shows little differentiation in COI sequence across the Indian Ocean from Madagascar to W Australia, but is deeply divergent from sister populations in the Pacific (Boissin et al. in revision). Specimens concur well with the description of the species: they have small radial shields, enlarged disc scales on the periphery, one supplementary arm plate on each side of the dorsal arm plates, genital papillae. O. porrecta can be differentiated from O. degeneri by its longer arm spines, the presence of larger marginal disc plates and smaller supplementary dorsal arm plates (Stöhr 2011). The mottled brown colour of sp. 1 matches Lyman’s description well. The type locality of O. porrecta is unknown ( Lyman 1860). Abundance: 2.

Distribution. A widespread IWP species previously recorded from Réunion ( Guille & Ribes 1981; Stöhr et al. 2008) and Rodrigues ( Rowe & Richmond 2004).

Figures

FIGURE 4. Pictures of species encountered in Réunion Island waters. Pictures were taken of freshly collected specimens except when indicated. Photo credit: BIOTAS.