Bull. nar. Hist. Mus. Lond. (Zool.) 62(2): 71-82 



Issued 28 November 1996 



Indian Ocean echinoderms collected during 

 the Sindbad Voyage (1980-81): 3. Ophiuroidea 

 and Echinoidea 



ANDREW R.G. PRICE 



Ecosystems Analysis and Management Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Warwick, 



Coventry CV4 7AL, UK 



FRANCIS W.E. ROWE 



Goldbrook Boarding Kennels, Nuttery Vale, Cross Street, Home, Suffolk IP21 5BB, UK 



THE NATURAL 

 HISTORY MUSEUM 



11 L>l.u1996 



PRESENTED 

 GENERAL LIBRARY 



SYNOPSIS. At least 44 ophiuroid and 1 1 echinoid species are recorded from echinoderm collections made during an 

 international expedition, the Sindbad Voyage, from Oman to China. Sampling localities include the little known Lakshadweep 

 (Laccadive), Islands and Pula We (Sumatra) from which 71% of the species were recorded. Following the zoogeographic 

 subdivisions of Clark & Rowe ( 1971 ), range extensions are recorded for ten of theophiuroids: W. India (Amphioplus (Lymanella) 

 sp.); Sri Lanka {Ophiactis modesta, Ophiarachna robillardi, Ophiodyscrita instratus); Maldives area {Cryptopelta granulifera, 

 Ophiochaeta hirsuta); and Indonesia / East Indies (Amphiura (Amphiura) dejectoides,Amphiura (Amphiura) micro, Amphioplus 

 {Amphioplus) sienaspis, Ophiogymna pellicula). In addition to the taxonomic treatment, ecological information for each 

 echinoderm species (habitat types, depth range) is provided and broadly analysed. 



INTRODUCTION 



MATERIALS AND METHODS 



The systematica and distribution of Indian Ocean ophiuroids and 

 echinoids are treated in detail by Clark & Rowe ( 1 97 1 ). Regions for 

 which limited information is available include the Lakshadweep 

 (Laccadive) Islands, Sumatra and other parts of SE Asia. Recent 

 studies including the systematica and zoogeography of ophiuroids 

 and echinoids for the Lakshadweeps include Nagabhushanam & 

 Rao (1972) and James (1989), the latter yielding many new species 

 records for both echinoderm classes, which fill in gaps in the 

 distribution records of Clark & Rowe ( 1 97 1 ). Recent work has also 

 been undertaken in SE Asia, including Indonesia (Aziz, 1981 ) and 

 the west coast of Thailand (Bussarawit & Rowe, 1985; Bussarawit, 



in prep.). 



This paper reports on collections of ophiuroids and echinoids 

 from these areas and other localities during an international, 

 transdisciplinary voyage across the Indian Ocean from Oman to 

 China. The expedition, Sindbad Voyage, was undertaken in 1980-81 

 aboard a replica of an ancient Arab sailing vessel, 'Sohar'. In 

 addition to a systematic account, the zoogeographic significance of 

 the results and the ecology of each species are broadly assessed. 

 Details of the holothurian collections (Price & Reid, 1985) and 

 asteroid collections (Marsh & Price, 1991) resulting from the expe- 

 dition have already been published. Details of the crinoids collected 

 are also being prepared (Marshall & Price, in prep.), and a detailed 

 analysis of the ecology and biogeography of all five echinoderm 

 classes will follow. 



Address for correspondence: First author 

 © The Natural History Museum, 1996 



Specimens were collected by one of us (A. R.G. P.) and other expedi- 

 tion members from localities at Muscat, Oman; Chetlat, Laks- 

 hadweeps (Laccadives); SW India; SW Sri Lanka; and Pula We, 

 Sumatra. Details of the sampling localities are shown in Figure I. 

 Sampling was undertaken principally on coral reefs using scuba. At 

 each locality details of habitat type and depth range were recorded, 

 along with the number of individuals of each species. The number of 

 specimens collected is placed in parenthesis after each station 

 number in the Material lists for each species. 



Material was fixed and preserved using standard methods (Lin- 

 coln & Shields, 1979). Although several specimens (inadvertently 

 included with the asteroid collections) had been identified earlier by 

 L.M. Marsh and a few preliminary identifications were made in the 

 field by A. R.G. P., specimens were mostly identified by and all 

 species confirmed by F.W.E.R. who is also responsible for taxo- 

 nomic comments. The ophiuroid and echinoid collections are 

 deposited at the Natural History Museum, London, where the 

 holothurian collection (Price & Reid, 1985) and a representative 

 collection of the asteroids (Marsh & Price, 1991) have also been 

 lodged. 



Following recent practice (e.g. Sloan, Clark & Taylor, 1979), 

 systematic references are kept to a minimum by citing major works 

 when possible (e.g. Clark & Rowe, 1971; Clark & Courtman Stock, 

 1976; Cherbonnier & Guille, 1978; Rowe & Gates, 1995) from 

 which the original species descriptions, recent authoritative diag- 

 noses and taxonomic decisions can be traced. In some instances, 

 further references are given (e.g. Sloan et al„ 1979) to provide 

 additional systematic or biological information. 



