INDIAN OCEAN ECHINODERMS 



75 



197 1 ). The present record is the most westerly so far known for the 

 species. 



15. Ophiothrix (Acanthophiothrix) purpurea von 



Martens, 1867 



See. Clark & Rowe, 1971: 86; 1 12; Cherbonnier & Guille, 1978: 

 148; Sloan etal., 1978: 103; Rowe & Gates, 1995: 423. 



Material. 810204A/4 (3), 8 10421 A/2 (1), 8 10421 A/9 (1 juve- 

 nile), 810421B/1 (1), 810422D/3 (2), 8 10423 A/4 (1), 810423B/2 

 (1), 810425D/2(1), 80425D/4b(l), 810425F/7 (7), 810425F/8 (1), 

 810426A/2 (3), 8 10427 A/2 (2), 810428A/2 (2), 810428A/7 (3), 

 810428A/8 (4), 810428A/9 (2), 810428D/3f (23), 810430A/3 (1), 

 810430A/21c (6), 810430A/22b (1), 810430A/26 (5), 8 10501 A/ 1 

 (1), 8 10501 A/2 (1 juvenile), 8 10501 A/4 (1 juvenile), 8 10501 A/6 

 (9), 810501E/7 (2), 810501E/9 (1), 81050IE/14 (1), 810501E/15 

 (1), 810504B/2 (1). 



Collection sites. SW Kalpitiya, Sri Lanka; Ug Bau, Rubiah, Ug 

 Seukundo, UgTapa Gadja, N Klah, ?N. Udjung Lo Me, NE Sabang 

 Bay, Pula We, Sumatra. 



Habitat and depth. Coral reef, soft coral, fire coral (Millepora 

 sp.), subtidal rock/coral (epizoic on soft coral / gorgonian & crinoid, 

 sponge); 2-30 m. 



Remarks. The most common ophiuroid species collected. 



16. Ophiothrix (Acanthophiothrix) spinosissima 



Koehler, 1905 



SEE. Clark & Rowe, 1 97 1 : 86; 1 1 2. 



Material. 810422B/4 (4), 810501G/5 (2), 810502F/6 (1). 



Collection sites. Ug Seukundo, Klah / Ug Seukundo, Pula We, 

 Sumatra. 



Habitat and depth. Coral reef, 2-8 m. 



Remarks. The specimens run down well to O. (A.) spinossima in 

 the key provided by Clark & Rowe (1971). However, 2 specimens 

 from stn 8 10422B/4 have a single dark line running the length of the 

 dorsal side of the arms, rather than a series of dark spots. 



17. Macrophiothrix aspidota (Miiller & Troschel, 1842) 



SEE. Clark, 1968: 285; Clark & Rowe, 1971: 114; Clark & 

 Courtman Stock, 1976: 137; Hoggett, 1992: 91. 



Material. 810123B/6 (1), 810124A/8 (1), 810206A/6 (1), 

 810206A/7 (1). 



Collection sites. Negombo, Closenburg Point, Galle. Ala Gala, 

 Galle, Sri Lanka. 



Habitat and depth. Subtidal rock, coral / rock; 5-15 m. 



18. Macrophiothrix demessa (Lyman, 1861) 



See. Clark, 1968: 289; Clark & Rowe, 1971: 82; 1 14; Hoggett, 

 1991: 1089; 1992: 1 17; Rowe & Gates, 1995:412. 



Material. 801212B/1 (1), 810424B/4 (2). 



Collection sites. Chetlat, Lakshadweep (Laccadive) Islands; 

 Seulakoe, Pula We, Sumatra. 



Habitat and depth. Coral rubble, coral reef; 8 m & 20-30 m. 



Remarks. A.M. Clark ( 1 968) transferred this species to the genus 

 Macrophiothrix referring Ophiothrix (Amphiophiothrix) H.L. Clark, 

 1946, of which demessa is type (and only) species to the synonymy 

 of Macrophiothrix H.L. Clark, 1938. 



19. Macrophiothrix elongata (H.L. Clark, 1938) 



See. Clark, 1968: 291; Clark & Rowe, 1971: 82; 114;Price, 1983: 

 61; Hoggett, 1992: 125. 



Material. 801 1 1 1 A/5 ( 1 ), 801 1 14A/5 (2), 801 1 14B/2 (1 ). 



Collection sites. Muscat harbour, Oman. 



Habitat and depth. Coral reef, subtidal rock/coral/sand; 0.5-3 

 m. 



20. Macrophiothrix longipeda (Lamarck, 1816) 



See. Clark, 1968: 300; Clark & Rowe, 1971: 82; 1 14; Clark & 

 Courtman Stock, 1976: 139; Hoggett, 1991: 1103; Hogett, 1992: 

 151; Rowe & Gates, 1995:413. 



Material. 80 1 2 1 2B/3 ( 1 ), 8 1 0206A/5 ( 1 ), 8 1 0430A/24a ( 1 ). 



Collection SITES. Chetlat, Lakshadweep (Laccadive) Islands; 

 Negombo, Sri Lanka; Ug Seukundo, Pula We, Sumatra. 



Habitat and depth. Coral/rock, coral rubble; 5-10 m. 



21. Macrophiothrix lorioli A.M. Clark, 1968 



See. Clark, 1968: 302; Clark & Rowe, 1971: 82; 115; Hoggett, 

 1991: 1108; Hoggett, 1992: 161; Rowe & Gates, 1995:414. 



Material. 810502D/2 (1), 810502E/1 (1). 



Collection sites. E Klah, Pula We, Sumatra. 



Habitat and depth. Coral reef, coral reef/subtidal rock; 5 & 

 10 m. 



22. Macrophiothrix nereidina (Lamarck, 1816) 



SEE. Clark & Rowe, 1971: 86; 107 (as Ophiothrix (Keystonea) 

 nereidina); Hoggett, 1992: 228 (as Macrophiothrix); Rowe & Gates, 

 1995: 426 (as O. (Keystonea) nereidina). 



Material. 8 10421 A/4 (1), 810422B/3 (2), 810430A/20d (1), 

 8 1 0430 A/2 lc (2), 8 1 0430A/22b ( 1 ), 810501E/6 (1). 



Collection sites. Ug Seukundo, Pula We, Sumatra. 



Habitat and depth. Coral reef, coral / rock; 2-10 m. 



REMARKS. The species nereidina (which was placed in the 

 subgenus Ophiothrix (Keystonea) by A.M. Clark, 1967) is included 

 herein in the genus Macrophiothrix. Hoggett (1991) stated that 'it is 

 particularly difficult to determine the respective boundaries between 

 Macrophiothrix H.L. Clark, 1938 and two subgenera of Ophiothrix, 

 O. (Placophiothrix) H.L. Clark, 1938 and O. (Keystonea) A.M. 

 Clark, 1967.' The differences between these taxa have traditionally 

 relied principally on arm length, shape of dorsal arm plates, relative 

 spinular armament of the disc plates including cover of the radial 

 plates (see A.M. Clark, 1967; Clark & Rowe, 1971). The difficulty 

 in recognising the supraspecific limits of these taxa is made all the 

 more obvious by the treatment of the species Macrophiothrix 



