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On Ophioderma (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea) coming of age: morphological variations in three eastern Pacific species

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 May 2025

Karla J. Humara-Gil Open the ORCID record for Karla J. Humara-Gil [Opens in a new window] ,
Rebeca Granja-Fernández Open the ORCID record for Rebeca Granja-Fernández [Opens in a new window] ,
Eric Bautista-Guerrero Open the ORCID record for Eric Bautista-Guerrero [Opens in a new window] ,
Francisco A. Solís-Marin Open the ORCID record for Francisco A. Solís-Marin [Opens in a new window]  and
Alma Paola Rodríguez-Troncoso Open the ORCID record for Alma Paola Rodríguez-Troncoso [Opens in a new window]
Karla J. Humara-Gil*
Affiliation:
Laboratorio de Ecología Marina, Centro Universitario de la Costa, Universidad de Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Rebeca Granja-Fernández
Affiliation:
Postdoctoral Researcher (SECIHTI) Associated with Programa de Maestría en Biosistemática y Manejo de Recursos Naturales y Agrícolas (BIMARENA)/Laboratorio de Ecología, Conservación y Taxonomía, Centro Universitario de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad de Guadalajara, Zapopan, Mexico
Eric Bautista-Guerrero
Affiliation:
Laboratorio de Ecología Marina, Centro Universitario de la Costa, Universidad de Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Francisco A. Solís-Marin
Affiliation:
Colección Nacional de Equinodermos “Dra. Ma. Elena Caso Muñoz”, Laboratorio de Sistemática y Ecología de Equinodermos, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología (ICML), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico
Alma Paola Rodríguez-Troncoso
Affiliation:
Laboratorio de Ecología Marina, Centro Universitario de la Costa, Universidad de Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
*
Corresponding author: Alma Paola Rodríguez-Troncoso; Email: alma.rtroncoso@academicos.udg.mx
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Abstract

Brittle stars undergo remarkable morphological changes during their transition to adulthood, extending beyond metamorphosis. Members of the genus Ophioderma exhibit particularly noteworthy morphological changes between the juvenile and adult stages. These growth changes have been a persistent source of misidentification in Ophioderma, even leading to the misclassification of juveniles to a different genus. In this study, the growth changes of three common eastern Pacific Ophioderma species were characterised: Ophioderma aija, Ophioderma occultum, and Ophioderma panamense. Their growth series, ranging from 2.5 to 26.7 mm disc diameter, were analysed by combining morphology, morphometrics, and DNA barcoding. Three size groups within the species were identified. In general, the morphological changes shown by the three species were highly similar and occurred at comparable sizes, allowing a pattern to be identified and reconstructed. However, differences between the species were observed throughout the series in quantitative (arm length, dorsal arm plates, number of arm spines) and qualitative (radial shields, colouration) characters. This work represents one of the few available contributions on the growth changes of Ophiuroidea from the eastern Pacific and so far in the genus Ophioderma.

Keywords

barcodinggrowth seriesintraspecific variabilitymorphometricstaxonomy

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 105 , 2025 , e49
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom.

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