Description

Remarks. For comparison with O. degeneri a small spm of 4.5 mm dd was selected, incidentally from the same sample. In this sample there also was the smallest O. porrecta of the material, at 3.2 mm dd, and a same size O. degeneri. The size range over all samples was 3.2 – 10 mm dd, and thus O. porrecta reaches about twice the size of O. degeneri. Ophionereis porrecta can be distinguished from O. degeneri by the large marginal radial dorsal disk scales, the longer, tapered arm spines, the smaller supplementary dorsal arm plates, the convex distal edge of the ventral arm plates and by the oral shield being as wide as long. For further discussion see under O. degeneri. The sympatric occurrence of both species at similar size in the same sample further corroborates their validity as separate species.

Common Names

No common names available.

Taxonomic Hierarchy

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Echinodermata

Class: Ophiuroidea

Order: Amphilepidida

Family: Ophionereididae

Genus: Ophionereis

Species: Ophionereis porrecta Lyman, 1860