Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Type: Article
Published: 2018-01-31
Page range: 1–20
Abstract views: 144
PDF downloaded: 4

First finding of anchialine and submarine cave dwelling brittle stars from the Pacific Ocean, with descriptions of new species of Ophiolepis and Ophiozonella (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea: Amphilepidida)

Misaki Marine Biological Station, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 1024 Koajiro, Misaki, Miura 238-0225, Japan.
Okinawa Prefectural University of Arts, 1-4 Shuri-Tounokura, Naha, Okinawa, 903-8602, Japan
Echinodermata brittle star endemism new species submarine cave anchialine environment

Abstract

Two new species, Ophiolepis cavitata n. sp. and Ophiozonella cavernalis n. sp., are described from the specimens collected in shallow water submarine caves in the Ryukyu Islands, southwestern Japan. Ophiolepis cavitata n. sp. is distinguished from the other congeners in having prominent tubercle-shaped knobs on dorsal arm plates; two sizes of disc scales on the aboral disc, the larger surrounded by 3–8 times smaller disc scales; larger scales concave; radial shields wider than long; a trio of distinct scales present distal to each pair of radial shields; oral shields partly concave; 3 arm spines on proximal portion of the arms. Ophiozonella cavernalis n. sp. is distinguished from the other congeners in having polygonal, uniform size disc scales; oral shields almost as long as wide, shallow concave proximal sides that end in a fairly sharp point medially; arms about 9 times longer than disc diameter; 3 cylindrical arm spines, of which the oral most one is slightly larger than other 2 spines. Ophiozonella cavernalis n. sp. is the second finding of an anchialine-endemic ophiuroid and the first finding from the Pacific Ocean.

 

References

  1. Anker, A. & Fujita, Y. (2014) On the presence of the anchialine shrimp Calliasmata pholidota Holthuis, 1973 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Caridea: Barbouriidae) in Shimoji Island, Ryukyu Islands, Japan. Fauna Ryukyuana, 17, 7–11.

    Baker, A.N. (1979) Some Ophiuroidea from the Tasman Sea and adjacent waters. New Zealand Journal of Zoology, 6, 21–51.
    https://doi.org/10.1080/03014223.1979.10428345

    Carpenter, J.H. (2016) Observations on the biology and behavior of Amphicutis stygobita, a rare cave brittle star (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea) from Bernier Cave, San Salvador Island, Bahamas. In. Erdman, E. & Rothfus, T. (Eds.), Proceedings of the fifteenth symposium on the natural history of the Bahamas. A & A Printing, San Sarvador, pp. 31–44.

    Chebonnier, G. & Guille, A. (1978) Echinoderms: Ophiurides. Faune de Madagascar. Vol. 48. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, 272 pp.

    Clark, H.L. (1911) North Pacific ophiurans in the collection of the United States National Museum. Bulletin of the United States National Museum, 75, 1–302.

    Clark, H.L. (1915) Catalogue of Recent ophiurans: based on the collection of the Museum of Comparative Zoölogy. Memoirs of the Museum of Comparative Zoölogy at Harvard College, 25, 165–376.

    Clark, A.M. & Rowe, F.E.W. (1971) Monograph of shallow-water Indo-West Pacific echinoderms: i-vii. Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History), London, 238 pp.

    Clark, H.L. (1908) Some Japanese and East Indian echinoderms. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoölogy at Harvard College, 51 (11), 279–311.

    Clark, H.L. (1917) Reports on the scientific results of the expedition to the eastern tropical pacific in charge of Alexander Agassiz, by the U. S. Fish Commission Steamer “Albatross,” from October, 1904, to March, 1905, Lieut. Commander L. M. Garrett, U. S. N., Commanding. XXX. Ophiuroidea. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoölogy at Harvard College, 61 (12), 429–451.

    Culver, D.C. & Pipan, T. (2009) The Biology of Caves and other Subterranean Habitats. Oxford University Press, New York, 272 pp.

    Devaney, D.M. (1974) Shallow-water echinoderms from British Honduras, with a description of a new species of Ophiocoma (Ophiuroidea). Bulletin of Marine Science, 24, 122–164.

    Duncan, P.M. (1887) On the Ophiuridae of the Mergui Archipelago, collected for the Trustees of the Indian Museum, Calcutta, by Dr. John Anderson, F.R.S., Superintendent of the Museum. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 21, 85–106.
    https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.1887.tb00382.x

    Fell, H.B. (1960) Synoptic keys to the genera of Ophiuroidea. Zoology Publication from Victoria University of Wellington, 26, 1–44.

    Fujita, Y. & Naruse, T. (2011) Catoptrus iejima, a new species of cavernicolous swimming crab (Crustacea: Brachyura: Portunidae) from a submarine cave at Ie Island, Ryukyu Islands, Japan. Zootaxa, 2918, 29–38.

    Fujita, Y., Irimura, S., Kogure, Y., Okanishi, M. & François, M. (2015) Catalogue of Echinodermata specimens deposited in the University Museum (Fujukan), University of the Ryukyus. Catalogue of materials deposited in the University Museum (Fujukan), University of the Ryukyus. 10. University Museum (Fujukan), University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, 106 pp.

    Fujita, T. (2016) Brittle stars of Ophiodermatidae and Ophiolepididae (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea: Ophiurida: Ophiurina) collected from the Singapore Strait. The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology Supplement, 34, 619–626.

    Hanzawa, S. (1935) Topography and geology of the RiuKiu Islands. The Science Reports of the Tohoku University. Second Series, Geology, 17, 1–61.

    Hayami, I. & Kase, T. (1993) Submarine cave Bivalvia from the Ryukyu Islands: systematics and evolutionary significance. The University Museum The University of Tokyo Bulletin, 351, 1–133.

    Heok, T.H., Naruse, T., Fujita, Y. & Siong, T.K. (2014) Observations on the fauna from submarine and associated anchialine caves in Christmas Island, Indian Ocean Territory, Australia. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology Supplement, 30, 406–418.

    Koehler, R. (1897) Échinodermes recueillis par “l’Investigator” dans l’Océan Indien. Annales des Sciences Naturelles Zoollogie, 8, 277–372.

    Koehler, R. (1905) Ophiures de l’Expedition du Siboga. 2. Ophiures littorales. Siboga-Expeditie, 45b, 1–142.

    Koehler, R. (1898) Échinides et Ophiures provenant des campagnes du yacht l'Hirondelle (Golfe de Gascogne, Acores, Terre-Nueve, Açores). Résultats des campagnes scientifiques accomplies sur son yacht par Albert Ier, prince souverain de Monaco, 12, 1–78.

    Koehler, R. (1904) Ophiures de l'expédition du Siboga. Part 1. Ophiures de mer profonde. Siboga Expeditie, 45a, 1–176.

    Koehler, R. (1922) Contributions to the biology of the Philippine Archipelago and adjacent regions. Ophiurians of the Philippine seas and adjacent waters. Bulletin of the United States National Museum, 100, 1–486.

    Ljungman, A. (1867) Ophiuroidea viventia huc usque cognita enumerat. Öfversigt Kongl. Vetenskaps-Akademiens Förhandlingar, 9, 303–336.

    Lyman, T. (1878) Ophiurans and Astrophytons of the Exploring Voyage of H.M.S. “Challenger,” under Prof. Wyville Thomson, F.R.S. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoölogy, 5, 65–168.

    Lyman, T. (1883) Reports on the results of dredging, under the supervision of Alexander Agassiz, in the Caribbean Sea (1878–79), and along the Atlantic coast of the United States during the summer of 1880, by the U.S. coast survey steamer “Blake,” commander J. R. Bartlett, U. S. N., commanding. XX. Report on the Ophiuroidea. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoölogy, 10 (6), 227–287.

    Müller, J. & Troschel, F.H. (1840) Ueber die Gattungen der Ophiuren. Archiv für Naturgeschichte, 6, 326–330.

    Murakami, S. (1942) Ophiurans of Izu, Japan. Journal of the Department of Agriculture Kyusyu Imperial University, 7, 1–36.

    Naruse, T. & Fujita, Y. (2015) Lipkemera iejima, a new cavernicolous crab (Brachyura: Xanthidae) from a submarine cave at Ie Island, central Ryukyu Islands, Japan. Crustacean Research, 44, 21–27.
    https://doi.org/10.18353/crustacea.44.0_21

    O’Hara, T.D., Hugall, A.F., Thuy, B., Stöhr, S. & Martynov, A.V. (2017) Restricting higher taxonomy using broad-scale phylogenomics: The living Ophiuroidea. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 107, 415–430.
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2016.12.006

    Okanishi, M., Sentoku, A., Fujimoto, S., Jimi, N., Nakayama, R., Yamana, Y., Yamauchi, H., Tanaka, H., Kato, T., Kashio, S., Uyeno, D., Yamamoto, K., Miyazaki, K. & Asakura, A. (2016) Marine benthic community in Shirahama, southwestern Kii Peninsula, central Japan. Publications of the Seto Marine Biological Laboratory, 44, 7–52.
    https://doi.org/10.5134/217458

    Okanishi, M. (2016) Ophiuroidea (Echinodermata): systematics and Japanese fauna. In: Motokawa, M. & Kajihara, H. (Eds.), Species diversity of animals in Japan. Springer Japan, Tokyo, pp. 651–678.

    Pineda-Enríquez, T., Bribiesca-Contreras, G., Solís-Marín, F.A., Laguarda-Figueras, A., O'Hara, T. (2017) New species of the genus Ophiolepis Müller & Troschel, 1840 (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea: Ophiolepididae). Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. [in press]

    Pomory, C.M., Carpenter, J.H. & Winter, J.H. (2011) Amphicutis stygobita, a new genus and new species of brittle star (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea: Ophiurida: Amphilepididae) found in Bernier Cave, an anchialine cave on San Salvador Island, Bahamas. Zootaxa, 3133, 50–68.

    Shimomura, M., Fujita, Y. & Naruse, T. (2012) First record of the genus Thetispelecaris Gutu and Iliffe, 1998 (Crustacea: Peracarida: Bochusacea) from a submarine cave in the Pacific Ocean. Zootaxa, 3367, 69–78.

    Shimomura, M. & Fujita, Y. (2017) First description of the female of Heteromysoides simplex Hanamura & Kase, 2001 (Mysidacea: Mysidae) from a submarine cave in Ie-jima Island, Ryukyu Islands, southwestern Japan. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 130, 75–83.
    https://doi.org/10.2988/17-00001

    Stock, J.H., Iliffe, T.M. & Williams, D. (1986) The concept “anchialine” reconsidered. Stygologia, 2, 90–92.

    Stöhr, S. (2011) New record and new species of Ophiuroidea (Echinodermata) from Lifou, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia. Zootaxa, 3089, 1–50.

    Stöhr, S., O'Hara, T.D. & Thuy, B. (2012) Global Diversity of Brittle Stars (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea). PLoS ONE, 7 (3), e31940.
    https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0031940

    Stöhr, S., O’Hara, T. & Thuy, B. (2017) World Ophiuroidea database. Available from: http://www.marinespecies.org/ophiuroidea (accessed 13 July 2017)