Studies on Indian echinoderms—3. Ophiarthrum pictum (Muller and Troschel) (Ophiuroidea : Ophiocomidae), A new record from the Indian Ocean with additional notes on the species

The genus Ophiarthrum Peters has three species, viz., Ophiarthrum elegans, O. \nlymani and O. pictum. The first two species have been recorded from the Indian \nOcean. Ophiarthrum elegans is distributed from Mozambique and Zanzibar to \nTahiti and northwards to Ryukyu Islands (H. L. Clark, 1946). The author has \ncollected several specimens of this species at Port Blaii: during a visit to Andaman \nand Nicobar islands in January, 1965. The second species Ophiarthrum lymani \nis described from Mauritius and appears to be endemic. The third species Op/rwrthrum \npictum which is now collected from Nancowry (Nicobar) is recorded for the \nfirst time from the Indian Ocean. This species has been described for the first time \nfrom Java by Miiller and Troschel in 1842. Thereafter it has been recorded by \nseveral authors from various localities in the Pacific. Recently James (1969) has \nlisted this species from Nancowry in his catalogue of the cchinoderms in the \nReference Collections of the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute. A detailed \ndescription of this little known species and its distribution are given in this paper.