Studies on Indian echinoderms—3. Ophiarthrum pictum (Muller and Troschel) (Ophiuroidea : Ophiocomidae), A new record from the Indian Ocean with additional notes on the species

摘要

The genus Ophiarthrum Peters has three species, viz., Ophiarthrum elegans, O.udlymani and O. pictum. The first two species have been recorded from the IndianudOcean. Ophiarthrum elegans is distributed from Mozambique and Zanzibar toudTahiti and northwards to Ryukyu Islands (H. L. Clark, 1946). The author hasudcollected several specimens of this species at Port Blaii: during a visit to Andamanudand Nicobar islands in January, 1965. The second species Ophiarthrum lymaniudis described from Mauritius and appears to be endemic. The third species Op/rwrthrumudpictum which is now collected from Nancowry (Nicobar) is recorded for theudfirst time from the Indian Ocean. This species has been described for the first timeudfrom Java by Miiller and Troschel in 1842. Thereafter it has been recorded byudseveral authors from various localities in the Pacific. Recently James (1969) hasudlisted this species from Nancowry in his catalogue of the cchinoderms in theudReference Collections of the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute. A detaileduddescription of this little known species and its distribution are given in this paper.