Global Diversity of Brittle Stars (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea)

Abstract

This review presents a comprehensive overview of the current status regarding the global diversity of the echinoderm class Ophiuroidea, focussing on taxonomy and distribution patterns, with brief introduction to their anatomy, biology, phylogeny, and palaeontological history. A glossary of terms is provided. Species names and taxonomic decisions have been extracted from the literature and compiled in The World Ophiuroidea Database, part of the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS). Ophiuroidea, with 2064 known species, are the largest class of Echinodermata. A table presents 16 families with numbers of genera and species. The largest are Amphiuridae (467), Ophiuridae (344 species) and Ophiacanthidae (319 species). A biogeographic analysis for all world oceans and all accepted species was performed, based on published distribution records. Approximately similar numbers of species were recorded from the shelf (n = 1313) and bathyal depth strata (1297). The Indo-Pacific region had the highest species richness overall (825 species) and at all depths. Adjacent regions were also relatively species rich, including the North Pacific (398), South Pacific (355) and Indian (316) due to the presence of many Indo-Pacific species that partially extended into these regions. A secondary region of enhanced species richness was found in the West Atlantic (335). Regions of relatively low species richness include the Arctic (73 species), East Atlantic (118), South America (124) and Antarctic (126).

Molecular Species Delimitation of Icelandic Brittle Stars (Ophiuroidea)

“…A total of 241 ophiuroid species has been recorded from the North Atlantic, 180 of which have been reported from bathyal depths (Stöhr et al 2012). Although the fauna of the North Atlantic Ocean is quite well known due to centuries of ocean exploration from Europe and North America and commercial fisheries, new species of ophiu− roids have been described continuously (Paterson 1985;Bartsch 1987;Smith et al 1995;Stöhr 2003;Stöhr and Segonzac 2005;Martynov and Litvinova 2008;Stöhr and Muths 2010;Rodrigues et al 2011), and difficult to identify juvenile stages have been matched to their adults (Sumida et al 1998;Stöhr 2005).…”

A taxonomic review of the genus Asterostegus (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea), with the description of a new species

“…The terms used to describe ophiuroids follow Stöhr et al (2012) and . Familial level systematics follow .…”

Taxonomic revision and phylogeny of the Ophiocoma brevipes group (Echinodermata, Ophiuroidea), with description of a new subgenus (Breviturma) and a new species

“…The taxonomy follows Stöhr & O'Hara (2013). The morphological terminology follows Stöhr et al (2012). Field numbers, museum registration numbers and GenBank accession numbers are listed in the Supplementary file.…”