Amphiura cf. glabra, Lyman, 1879

Amphiura cf. glabra View in CoL

Fig. 26a–c View FIGURE 26

STUDY MATERIAL. — JC066 : stn 4-4, Coral seamount, 41° 22.8371´S, 42° 50.6024´E to 41° 22.85´S, 42° 51.99´E, 1186 m, 13/11/2011: 1 ( NHMUK 2025.20 About NHMUK ) GoogleMaps ( DNA code= JC066-3851 ) .

COMPARATIVE MATERIAL EXAMINED. Amphiura cf. glabra in2022_v08/141, Cocos (Keeling), 12° 7.677´S, 96° 58.8014´E to 12° 7.98´S, 96° 59.35´E, 1139– 1110 m, 16/10/2022, identified by O’Hara (2024b) GoogleMaps , MV F308057 ( DNA code=F308057) .

Description. Disc 5 mm dd, petaloid, covered dorsally in scales, no primary plates evident, radial shields large, 1/5 dd in length, D-shaped, proximally divergent; disc scales become sparse around the oral shields; oral shields rounded triangular, 1.5x as wide as long, distally widest with a slightly convex distal side; adoral shields narrow with wide lateral wings, just separated interradially and separated radially by the VAP1; distal oral papillae small and conical; DAPs ovoid, slightly wider than long; VAPs longer than wide, with a tapered angle proximally, a convex distal edge and incised lateral sides, contiguous; to 6 arm spines, lowest longer, especially around mid-arm, to 1.5 segments; one oval tentacle scale, 1/2 to 1/3 the length of the VAP. Colour (preserved): light brown, with a darker spot at the base of the arm spines.

Distribution. tropical Indian Ocean—bathyal

Remarks. This specimen is similar to a 3 mm dd specimen described from off the Cocos (Keeling) islands in the eastern Indian Ocean ( O’Hara, 2024b), differing only in having slightly smaller radial shields, smaller distal oral papillae, and an additional arm spine, all of which may be due to its larger size. The holotype of A. glabra Lyman, 1879 from the Philippines ( 930 m) is not described as having longer ventral arm spines, and we defer considering these three specimens the same species until the holotype has been re-examined.