Deep water Ophiuroidea (Echinodermata) of New Caledonia: Ophiacanthidae and Hemieuryalidae
O'Hara, T.D.; Stöhr, S. (2006). Deep water Ophiuroidea (Echinodermata) of New Caledonia: Ophiacanthidae and Hemieuryalidae, in: Richer de Forges, B. et al. (Ed.) Tropical Deep-Sea Benthos 24. Mémoires du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (1993), 193: pp. 33-141
In: Richer de Forges, B.; Justine, J.-L. (Ed.) (2006). Tropical Deep-Sea Benthos 24. Mémoires du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (1993), 193. Publications Scientifiques du Muséum: Paris. ISBN 978-2-85653-585-1. 417 + cd-rom pp.
In: Mémoires du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (1993). Éditions du Muséum: Paris. ISSN 1243-4442; e-ISSN 1768-305X
Ophiuroids of the families Ophiacanthidae (46 species) and Hemieuryalidae (2 species) are monographed for the region around New Caledonia in the southwest Pacific Ocean. Ophiohamus nanus n. gen. n. sp. is described in the Ophioplinthacinae. New species are also described in the following genera: Ophiacantha (O. fuscina n. sp., O. richeri n. sp.), Ophioplinthaca (O. amezianeae n. sp.), Ophiomitrella (O. mensa n. sp., O. parviglobosa n. sp.), Ophiothamnus (O. biocal n. sp.) and Ophiurothamnus (O. eleaumei n. sp.). The genus Ophiocyclus is synonymised with Ophiurothamnus, Ophiomelina with Ophiacantha, Toporkovia with Ophiolimna, Ophiomytis with Ophioplinthaca, and Ophiogyptis with Ophiomoeris. Ophiomelina moniliformis (Koehler, 1904) thus becomes a junior homonym of Ophiacantha moniliformis Lütken & Mortensen, 1899 and the replacement name Ophiacantha renekoehleri n. nom. is proposed. In addition there are 37 new species-level synonymies and 19 other new genus-species combinations. A key is provided for all genera and all tropical Indo-West Pacific species of the Ophiacanthidae. The results show that the biogeographical relationship of the ophiacanthid fauna of New Caledonia is with the tropical Indo-Pacific. Less than ten percent of the fauna is shared with Southern Australia and fifteen percent with New Zealand. More broadly, there appears to be a single ophiacanthid fauna at upper to middle slope depths (200-2500 m) across the Indo-West Pacific from Africa to Hawaii, with limited east-west differentiation. This fauna grades into distinct temperate bathyal faunas near South Africa, China/Japan and Australia/New Zealand, until there is an almost complete changeover of species by 45° latitude in both hemispheres.
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