Ophiocnida hispida (Le Conte 1851)

Disk rounded (dd = 6 to 7.6 mm) and covered with imbricated scales bearing pointed scattered spines. Radial shields narrow and separated by a row of scales which are larger than those of the disk (Fig. 1D).Ventral interradius with smaller imbricated scales and bearing scattered spines (Fig. 1E). Oral shields diamond shaped, with rounded angles. Adoral shields triangular and not meeting within. Three papillae on each side of the jaw; two outer ones rounded and the innermost one being the largest. The madreporite is evident (Fig. 1F). Dorsal arm plates wider than long, with the corners rounded (Fig. 1B). Ventral arm plates rectangular, wider than long; outer and inner sides slightly curved. Three blunt, cylindrical and short arm spines of nearly equal length. Two small tentacle scales forming a right angle to each other (Fig. 1C). Color of the disk brown (Fig. 1A); the color in the ventral side of the disk is straw-brown (Fig. 1E). Arms straw colored with irregular transversal lines (Fig. 1B). Madreporite with a lighter color (Fig. 1F).

From USA (California) to Panama (McClendon 1909, Alvarado et al. 2010). In Mexico, from the Gulf of California (Baja California Sur, Sonora), Guerrero and Oaxaca (Solís-Marín et al. 2005, Honey-Escandón et al. 2008, Granja-Fernández and López-Pérez 2012). Depth 0-794 m (Maluf 1988). In this study, Ophiocnida hispida was collected in coral reefs from Jalisco and Oaxaca at 9.1 m depth.