Ophiothrix fragilis

• Main Authors: Glück, Franziska U., Stöhr, Sabine, Bochert, Ralf, Zettler, Michael L.
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: Zenodo 2012
• Subjects: Biodiversity; Taxonomy; Animalia; Echinodermata; Ophiuroidea; Ophiurida; Ophiotrichidae; Ophiothrix; Ophiothrix fragilis; Lofoten; Theodore; Noire; Iceland
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5697865; https://zenodo.org/record/5697865

Ophiothrix fragilis (Abildgaard in O.F. Müller, 1789) Fig. 6 C, D West African records. Ophiothrix rubra : Studer 1882: 25; Ophiothrix fragilis : Koehler 1907: 332 (f. lusitanica ); 1914: 209; Mortensen 1925: 179; Cadenat 1938: 357; Cherbonnier 1962: 16; Tommasi 1967: 542; Madsen 1970: 213; Alva & Vadon 1989: 834; Ophiothrix quinquemaculata : Cherbonnier 1962: 18. Material examined. St. 66: dredge sampling, 9 ° 33.702´S, 13 °06.018´E; 2 specimens, 3–4 mm. St. BE08: grab sampling, 17 °00.990´S, 11 ° 27.048´E; 1 specimen, 6 mm. St. BE 17: dredge sampling, 17 ° 18.946´S, 11 ° 43.389´E; 4 specimens, 2.5–3 mm. St. BE 30: grab and dredge sampling, 17 ° 23.415´S, 11 ° 43.432´E; 4 specimens, 2.3–8.8 mm. St. BE03: grab sampling, 17 ° 57.636´S, 11 ° 46.104´E; 7 specimens, 2.5–3.3 mm. St. BE02: grab and dredge sampling, 18 ° 11.442´S, 11 ° 50.478´E; 34 specimens, 6–13 mm. St. BE01: dredge sampling, 18 ° 23.118´S, 11 ° 55.290´E; 3 specimens, 1,5– 5.8 mm. Depth: 20– 117 m. Diagnosis. This species is known to be strongly polymorphic. There is great morphological diversity among the specimens found on the West African shelf, especially with respect to the disc armature (length, shape and patterns of spinelets). The radial shields are naked, rarely with granules or spinelets and then only sparsely covered. Arm spines and jaw are fairly similar to Ophiothrix congensis. Distribution. Ophiothrix fragilis is an East Atlantic species with a distribution from Iceland and the Lofoten to South Africa. It is also common in the Mediterranean Sea. It occurs from the littoral zone down to approximately 1250 m. : Published as part of Glück, Franziska U., Stöhr, Sabine, Bochert, Ralf & Zettler, Michael L., 2012, Brittle stars (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea) from the continental shelf off Angola and Namibia, pp. 1-20 in Zootaxa 3475 on pages 14-15, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.282230 : {"references": ["Muller, O. F. (1789) Zoologia Danica Seu Animalium Daniae et Norwegiae rariorum ac Minus notorum Descriptiones et Historia. Vol. 3. Moller, Copenhagen, 71 pp + 40 plates.", "Studer, T. (1882) Ubersicht uber die Ophiuriden, welche wahrend der Reise S. M. S. \" Gazelle \" um die Erde 1874 - 76 gesammelt wurden. Abhandlungen der Koniglichen Preu\u00dfischen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin, 34, 1 - 37, 3 pls.", "Koehler, R. (1907) Revision de la collection des Ophiures du Museum d'histoire Naturelle Paris. Bulletin Sciences de la France et de la Belgique, 41, 279 - 351, 5 pls.", "Mortensen, T. (1925) Echinodermes du Maroc et de Mauritanie. Bulletin de la societe des sciences naturelles du Maroc, 5 (4 - 5), 178 - 187.", "Cadenat, J. (1938) Liste des echinoderms recueillis pendant la cinquieme croisiere du \u2026 \" President-Theodore-Tissier \". Revue des Travaux de l'Office des Peches Maritimes, 11, 349 - 375.", "Cherbonnier, G. (1962) Ophiurides. Expedition Belge dans les Eaux Cotieres Africaines de l'Atlantique Sud. Memoires de l'Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique, 3 (8), 1 - 24.", "Tommasi, L. R. (1967) Ophiuroidea de la Cote-d\u00b4Ivoire. Bulletin de l'Institute Fondamental d'Afrique Noire, 29, 521 - 583.", "Madsen, F. J. (1970) West African Ophiuroids. Atlantidae Report, 11, 151 - 243.", "Alva, V. & Vadon, C. (1989) Ophiuroids from the western coast of Africa (Namibia and Guinea - Bissau). Scientia Marina, 53 (4), 827 - 845."]}