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Echinoderms from Southern New Zealand

Amphiura spinipes Mrtsn., 1924

page 15

Amphiura spinipes Mrtsn., 1924

  • Alert stations; 4, three specimens; 13, five specimens; 14, one individual; 20, about forty specimens.
  • Lochlan station 367/51, one specimen.

Amphiura spinipes is extraordinarily variable in respect to its coloration, even within populations of relatively restricted area—for example, Alert station 20 (Paterson Inlet, Stewart Island). On preliminary macroscopic sorting of the collection from the latter station, four distinct lots were isolated, on account of colour differences, which afterwards proved to be all of this species. Following are some of the major colour variants noted:—

(a)Purple-brown disc and arms—ten individuals from station 20.
(b)Pinkish-fawn above, arms pale fawn below—about twenty individuals from station 20.
(c)Grey, the arms banded with narrow black bars at 2 mm. intervals—one individual from station 4.
(d)Disc dark fawn, arms brilliant orange-vermilion—about twelve individuals from stations 13 and 20.
(e)Disc brownish-orange, arms fawn, with narrow black bands at 2 mm. intervals—two specimens from station 20.