Amphipholis

Taxobox
name = "Amphipholis"


image_caption =
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Echinodermata
subphylum = Eleutherozoa
superclassis = Cryptosyringida
classis = Ophiuroidea
ordo = Ophiurida
subordo = Gnathophiurina
familia = Amphiuridae
genus = "Amphipholis"
genus_authority = Thomas, 1966
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision = see text.

"Amphipholis" is a large genus of brittle stars (Ophiuroidea) found in oceans worldwide from tropics to Arctic and Antarctic regions. Some species have been used to study echinoderm development ("Amphipholis kochii" [Yamashita,M.,Embryonic Development of the Brittle-Star Amphipholis kochii in Laboratory Culture, Biol. Bull. 169: 131-142(Aug., 1985)] ) and bioluminescence (the Dwarf brittle star, "Amphipholis squamata" [P.Brehm, J.G. Morin. Localization and Characterization of Luminescent Cells in Ophiopsila californica and Amphipholis squamata (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea) Biological Bulletin, Vol. 152, No. 1 (Feb., 1977)] [Dewael Y, Mallefet J., Luminescence in ophiuroids (Echinodermata) does not share a common nervous control in all species, J Exp Biol. 2002 Mar;205] ).

ystematics

"Amphipholis" is a large genus with potentially many cryptic species [R.Sponer and M.Ray, Phylogeographic analysis of the brooding brittle star Amphipholis squamata (Echinodermata) along the coast of New Zealand reveals high cryptic genetic variation and cryptic dispersal potential.Evolution, Volume 56, Issue 10 (October 2002)] . The high variability may be due to common parthenogenetic reproduction. The type species of the genus is "Amphipholis januarii " Ljungman, 1866(="Amphipholis gracillima" (Stimpson, 1852)).

Species include [ [http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=123612 MarineSpecies.org - Amphipholis Thomas, 1966 ] ] :

References