Ophiolepis pacifica Lütken 1856

Disk rounded (dd = 4 to 10 mm). Disk covered by large scales, surrounded by smaller scales of different sizes and shapes. There is a primary central scale surrounded by five oval scales. Radial shields triangular and distally separated by a row of scales; with a furrow that parallels the margin (Fig. 7J). The ventral interradial area is covered by scales smaller in comparison to the dorsal side (Fig. 7K). Oral shields pentagonal, longer than wide. Madreporite evident. Adoral shields large, triangular, not in contact. Four oral papillae at each side of the jaw; the outer one being the largest (Fig. 7K). Dorsal arm plates wider than long. Accessory dorsal arm plates restricted to the first arm segments (Fig. 7H).Ventral arm plates with distal margin rounded, wider than long. Four to five short and conical arm spines. Two tentacle scales closely equal in size (Fig. 7I). Dorsal side light brown in color; dorsal arm plates with darker transvers bands (Fig. 7G). Ventral side uniformly creamy-white in color (Fig. 7K).

Mexico, Costa Rica and Panama (Clark HL 1940, Verrill 1867, Honey-Escandón et al. 2008, Alvarado et al. 2010). In Mexico, from the Gulf of California (Sinaloa), Nayarit, Jalisco, Guerrero and Oaxaca (Caso 1951, Solís-Marín et al. 2005, Honey-Escandón et al. 2008, Granja-Fernández and López-Pérez 2011). From the intertidal zone to 30 m depth (Maluf 1988). In this study, Ophiolepis pacifica was collected on coral reefs from Guerrero and Oaxaca, from 4.9 to 26 m depth.