Table 1 in Resolving the Ophioderma longicauda (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea) cryptic species complex: five sisters, three of them new

Table 1. Key characters that distinguish the species of Ophioderma Müller & Troschel, 1840 in the Mediterranean Sea, the Northeast and Tropical Atlantic Ocean, formerly included in a cryptic complex under the name O. longicauda (Bruzelius, 1805). For O. guineense Greeff, 1882, the highest numbers of arm spines are from the syntypes. DAP = dorsal arm plate.
O. longicaudaO. guineenseO. africana sp. nov.O. hybrida sp. nov.O. zibrowii sp. nov.Dorsal arm platesmultiplemostly singlemostly single, but two pieces commonoften ≥ 2 pieces, sometimes singlesingleDAP thicknesstumidflatflatflat to weakly tumidflatArm spines7–108–1387–107Radial shieldcoveredcoveredcoveredusually coveredusually nakedDorsal colourreddish dark browndark greyish or greenish brown, dark or white spots and dark rings on disc, DAP distal edge spotted white and darkdark brown, sometimes spotted disc, black spots along DAP distal edgebrown/olive, white pattern on disc, white spots along DAP distal edgegreenish brown/olive, white spots along DAP distal edgeVentral disc colouras dorsal disclight green or creamas dorsal discas dorsal discas dorsal discOral papillae8987–108Reproduction timeJuly/August?August?May/JuneReproduction modebroadcast spawnerlikely broadcast spawnerbroadcast spawnerlikely brooderbrooder