Amphipholis squamata Delle Chiaje 1828

Amphipholis squamata (Delle Chiaje, 1828)

(Fig. 8)

Material examined. Mercator MV, TTR15, stn AT568, 1 ind. (DBUA 001080.07); stn AT575, 10 inds (DBUA 001080.01), stn AT576, 5 inds. (DBUA 001080.02), stn AT577, 2 inds. (DBUA 001080.03); MSM01-03, stn 241, 18 inds. (DBUA 001081.01), stn 242, 9 inds. (DBUA 001081.02), stn 287, 1 ind.; Fiuza MV, TTR14, stn AT566, 2 inds. (DBUA 001079.01); Kidd MV, TTR14, stn AT528, 2 inds.; stn AT559, 2 ind. (DBUA 001079.02), stn AT560, 9 inds. (DBUA 001079.03), stn AT561, 3 inds. (DBUA 001079.04); TTR MV, TTR12, stn AT416, 16 inds. (DBUA 001082.01); Meknès MV, TTR14, stn AT541, 1 ind.; TTR15, stn AT581, 1 ind. (DBUA 001080.04), stn AT585, 1 ind. (DBUA 001080.05), stn AT587, 1 ind. (DBUA 001080.06); MSM01-03, stn 321, 7 inds. (DBUA 001081.03), stn 335, 15 inds. (DBUA 001081.04); Yuma MV, TTR16, stn AT604, 4 inds. (DBUA 001083.01); Ginsburg MV, TTR16, stn AT607, 3 inds. (DBUA 001083.02); Jesus Baraza MV, TTR12, stn AT391, 1 ind. (DBUA 001082.02); Darwin MV, TTR16, stn AT608, 8 inds. (DBUA 001083.03); Captain Arutyunov MV, TTR12, stn AT399, 2 ind. (DBUA 001082.03); MSM01-03, stn 212, 1 ind. (DBUA 001081.05), stn194, 2 inds. (DBUA 001081.06), stn 225, 4 inds. (DBUA 001081.07), stn 274, 4 inds. (DBUA 001081.08), stn 344, 2 ind. (DBUA 001081.09); Formosa Ridge, TTR12, stn AT388, 2 ind. (DBUA 001082.04), stn AT389, 5 inds. (DBUA 001082.05); West of Gilbratar Strait, TTR14, stn AT550, 3 inds. (DBUA 001079.05), stn AT552, 24 inds. (DBUA 001079.06); Pen Duick Escarpment, TTR12, stn AT406, 18 inds. (DBUA 001082.06); TTR14, stn AT565, 1 ind. (DBUA 001079.07); TTR16, stn AT600, 8 inds. (DBUA 001083.04), stn AT602, 4 inds. (DBUA 001083.05).

Ecology and distribution. Amphipholis squamata is known from several substrata (under stones, amongst algal and bryozoan turfs, rockpool weeds and occasionally on sandy bottoms) from the intertidal to 1200 m. Current distribution records suggests that it is abundant in the Eastern Atlantic from Iceland along the European margin, Mediterranean Sea, West coast of Africa, West and East coast of South Africa and Madagascar (Alva & Vadon 1989). The taxonomy of this species is currently being investigated (S. Stöhr, per comm.). It is likely that this presumed cosmopolitan species will turn out to be a complex of cryptic species and that there will need to be a revision of its geographic distribution.

This species can switch from deposit feeding by collecting particles within its tube feet to suspension feeding via trapping detritus in mucus. In the Gulf of Cadiz it was the most common ophiuroid, recorded from 10 mud volcanoes and at three other sites in association to carbonate chimneys and crusts as well as cold-water corals (Fig. 7 D). Young, intermediate and adult stages were found together at the same localities. This species was found at depths from 350 to 1379 m which is its deepest known record.