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Vol. 60, 2021
(update: 2021.03.18)
Morphometry and Relative Growth
of Ophiolepis crassa
(Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea), a Brittle Star from the Eastern Pacific
Laura
Sanvicente-Añorve1,*, Francisco A. Solís-Marín1,
and Itzel Rosales-Contreras2
doi:-
1Universidad
Nacional Autónoma de México, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y
Limnología. Circuito Exterior S/N, Ciudad Universitaria, C.P. 04510,
Mexico City, Mexico. *Correspondence: Email: lesa@unam.mx
(Sanvicente-Añorve)
2Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Posgrado en
Ciencias del Mar y Limnología. Av. Ciudad Universitaria No. 3000, C.P.
04510, Mexico City, Mexico. E-mail: fasolis@cmarl.unam.mx
(Solís-Marín); roscongloitz@hotmail.com (Rosales-Contreras)
Received 3 November 2020 / Accepted 7 March 2021
Communicated by Yoko Nozawa
Tropical ophiuroid fauna belonging
to the family Ophiolepididae is almost unknown. This study deals with
the relative growth and morphometric traits of the ophiuroid Ophiolepis crassa from the Gulf of
California, Mexico. Specimens examined in this study came from the
Colección Nacional de Equinodermos, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de
México, and were collected over soft bottoms off Punta Gorda. A total
of 152 specimens were measured in 13 anatomical features, including
disk diameter, arm length, as well as length and width of dorsal and
ventral arm plates, and radial, oral, and adoral shields. Based on the
range of values of disk diameter, varying from 4 to 19 mm, we provided
quantitative data of each anatomical measurement considering three size
classes. Morphometric data were adjusted to a power equation to detect
the degree of allometry in the growth of anatomical traits. Results
indicated that all the ventral and dorsal plates, as well as the
radial, oral, and adoral shields suffer changes in shape during growth,
but these changes are stronger in the plates. Besides, an analysis of
symmetry applied to both right and left radial shields revealed that
these structures remain nearly symmetric during growth. The disk
diameter vs arm/disk relationship indicated that the species is a
surface dweller inhabitant of the seafloor. This study, based on a
single sample collected in a restricted area of the eastern Pacific,
provides useful quantitative information for further taxonomic,
systematic, or biogeographic studies.
Key words: Allometric relationships,
Symmetry, Disk, Microstructures, Gulf of California.
Citation: Sanvicente-Añorve L, Solís-Marín
FA, Rosales-Contreras I. 2021. Morphometry and relative growth of
Ophiolepis crassa (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea), a brittle star from the
eastern Pacific. Zool Stud 60:0aa.
doi:-.
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