First record of Ophioderma ensiferum (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea) from the southeastern continental shelf of the Gulf of Mexico and from an anchialine cave

Resumen

Two specimens of Ophioderma ensiferum Hendler and Miller, 1984 were collected at 2 different localitiesin the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico. The first one collected at Alacranes Reef, Yucatán, a transition zone between theGulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, and the second one in an anchialine cave located in Cozumel Island, QuintanaRoo. These records expand the known distribution of the species to the southern part of the continental shelf of theGulf of Mexico. This finding represents the first record of this ophiuroid on the continental shelf of Mexico, and alsothe first record of this species in an anchialine cave.