Ophiojura is a genus of brittle star in its own family, Ophiojuridae.[1] It has only one known species, Ophiojura exbodi,[2] collected by the EXBODI expedition from Banc Durand seamount off New Caledonia in 2011 at a depth of 360–460 m (1,200–1,500 ft).[3] The prefix 'Ophio' comes form the Ancient Greek word for serpent, and 'jura' is derived from the Jura Mountains, which lent its name to the Jurassic period.[3]
| Ophiojura | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Echinodermata |
| Class: | Ophiuroidea |
| Order: | Ophiacanthida |
| Family: | Ophiojuridae |
| Genus: | Ophiojura O'Hara, Thuy & Hugall, 2021 |
| Species | |
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Ophiojura exbodi has eight arms, each 10 cm (4 in) long and bearing rows of sharp teeth leading to its multitude of jaws, which are also toothed. DNA and fossil evidence shows that it diverged from its nearest relatives 160–200 million years ago, with the best estimate 182 Ma, from the Early Jurassic to the Late Triassic.[3][4]
The following cladogram shows Ophiojura's relationships to its nearest relatives:
References edit
- ^ Stöhr S, O'Hara T, eds. (2023). "Ophiojuridae O'Hara, Thuy & Hugall, 2021". World Ophiuroidea database. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
- ^ Stöhr S, O'Hara T, eds. (2023). "Ophiojura O'Hara, Thuy & Hugall, 2021". World Ophiuroidea database. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
- ^ a b c O'Hara, Timothy D.; Thuy, Ben; Hugall, Andrew F. (16 June 2021). "Relict from the Jurassic: New family of brittle-stars from a New Caledonian seamount". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 288 (1953). doi:10.1098/rspb.2021.0684. PMC 8206687. PMID 34130505. S2CID 235440916.
- ^ O'Hara, Tim. "This deep-sea creature is long-armed, bristling with teeth, and the sole survivor of 180 million years of evolution". The Conversation. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
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