Refine
Document Type
- Article (2)
- Part of Periodical (2)
Language
- English (4)
Has Fulltext
- yes (4)
Is part of the Bibliography
- no (4) (remove)
Keywords
- brittle stars (4) (remove)
Taxonomic analysis of the genital plates and associated structures in Ophiuroidea (Echinodermata)
(2024)
Recently, new insights have been gained from the ophiuroid skeleton that were instrumental in the inference of a new phylogeny. The so far least studied ossicles are the adradial and abradial genital plates and the radial shields, which articulate with each other and support the genital slit and disc. In addition, the inner sides of the oral shields and madreporites have never been examined in detail. The present study utilized SEM, micro-CT and digital photography to document and examine these structures in 57 species from 28 of the currently accepted 34 families of Ophiuroidea. Early ontogeny and fossils were also considered. Previously, mainly the articular structures had been analysed, but the overall shape of the genital plates was here found to hold important phylogenetic signals. A long-neglected ossicle was re-discovered and studied in detail for the first time, here named the oral genital plate. It was recognized in all Ophintegrida, but was found to be absent in all Euryophiurida. The oral genital plate articulates with the oral shield and supports the proximal part of the genital slit wall. Abradial and oral genital plates were found to be absent in species that lack genital slits, but the adradial genital plate was always present. Numerous new morphological characters with potential phylogenetic signals were identified, described and figured in detail. A pre-existing character matrix was extended and revised with these new data, as well as with recently revised data on oral papillae, and a Bayesian phylogenetic analysis was performed. This phylogeny largely agrees with the current molecular hypothesis, but some branches were not supported.
A revision of the genus Asterostegus Mortensen, 1933 (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea: Euryalidae) is based on seven specimens, including the holotype of Asterostegus maini McKnight, 2003. A new species, Asterostegus sabineae sp. nov., is described from off Reunion Island and two other species, A. tuberculatus Mortensen, 1933 and A. maini, are redescribed. A tabular key to the three species of the genus Asterostegus is provided. Some terminology of the taxonomy of euryalid ophiuroids is revised.
The widespread Ophioderma hendleri sp. nov., from the Eastern Tropical Pacific (Mexico to Colombia) is distinguished from its congeners by having radial shields covered by granules, naked adoral shields, up to 11 arm spines, and by its brown and beige coloration. Ophioderma hendleri sp. nov. belongs to the group of species with naked adoral shields (i.e., O. pentacanthum H.L. Clark, 1917, O. variegatum Lütken, 1856), and it has frequently been misidentified as O. panamense Lütken, 1859 or O. variegatum. Therefore, the main aim of the present work was to describe Ophioderma hendleri sp. nov. and differentiate it from its congeners. The original description of O. panamense was incomplete; thus, we provide a redescription. Due to the confusion in previous designations of its type material, we designate a lectotype and paralectotype of O. variegatum. Finally, we expand the distribution range of O. pentacanthum to Cocos Island, Costa Rica. With this work, the total number of valid species of Ophioderma Müller & Troschel, 1840 in the world increases to 33 and in the Eastern Pacific to nine species.