Amphiura

Amphiura filiformis, copyright Judith Oakley.

Belongs within: Gnathophiurina.

Amphiura is a cosmopolitan genus of brittle stars with the central disc covered by fine scales.

Characters (from Spencer & Wright 1966): Oral papillae not forming continuous row along jaw, having single infradental separated by gap from single outer papilla with internal one invisible above gap. Disc with fine, flat, imbricating scales. Tentacle scales 2.

Amphiura Forbes 1843 [incl. Hemilepis Ljungman 1871] SW66
    |--*A. chiajii Forbes 1843 SW66
    |--A. belgicae BK77
    |--A. borealis BK77
    |--A. dolia Clark 1938 MG-H11
    |--A. filiformis BK77
    |--A. fragilis BK77
    |--A. griegi BK77
    |--A. leptotata Clark 1915 MG-H11
    |--A. mediterranea BK77
    |--A. microplax BK77
    |--A. octacantha (Clark 1915) MG-H11
    |--A. roseus HS01
    `--A. securigera BK77

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[BK77] Barel, C. D. N., & P. G. N. Kramers. 1977. A survey of the echinoderm associates of the north-east Atlantic area. Zoologische Verhandelingen 156: 1–159.

[HS01] Hayward, B. W., A. B. Stephenson, M. S. Morley, W. M. Blom, H. R. Grenfell, F. J. Brook, J. L. Riley, F. Thompson & J. J. Hayward. 2001. Marine biota of Parengarenga Harbour, Northland, New Zealand. Records of the Auckland Museum 37: 45–80.

[MG-H11] McEnnulty, F. R., K. L. Gowlett-Holmes, A. Williams, F. Althaus, J. Fromont, G. C. B. Poore, T. D. O’Hara, L. Marsh, P. Kott, S. Slack-Smith, P. Alderslade & M. V. Kitahara. 2011. The deepwater megabenthic invertebrates on the western continental margin of Australia (100–1100 m depths): composition, distribution and novelty. Records of the Western Australian Museum Supplement 80: 1–191.

[SW66] Spencer, W. K., & C. W. Wright. 1966. Asterozoans. In: Moore, R. C. (ed.) Treatise on invertebrate Paleontology pt U. Echinodermata 3 vol. 1 pp. U4–U107. The Geological Society of America, Inc., and The University of Kansas Press.