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Habitat Distribution and Comparison of Brittle Star (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea) Arm Regeneration on Moorea, French Polynesia
Sarah Chinn, University of California, Berkeley
"Biology and Geomorphology of Tropical Islands" (Environmental Sciences and Policy Management 107 and Integrative Biology 158) - Fall 2006.
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ABSTRACT: Autotomy and regeneration are widespread in many groups of invertebrates and
vertebrates, such as annelids, crustaceans, amphibians, and reptiles. Regeneration is common in
all classes of Echinodermata and prevalent in ophiuroid brittle stars. Moorea, French Polynesia
was surveyed for species of brittle stars living on coastal areas of the island in different habitats.
Ophiuroid populations were sampled in habitats such as a mangrove marsh, a sandy beach with
coral rubble and a jetty with coral rubble and conglomerate coral to determine percentages with
regenerating arms. Macrophiothix longipeda (Lamarck 1816) from the mangrove marsh and two
populations of Ophiocoma scolopendrina (Lamarck 1816) from the beach and jetty were studied
to determine if there were differences in experimental rates of arm regeneration after induced
autotomization. Each habitat was colonized by distict ophiuriod assemblages and had different
percentages of regenerating individuals; M. longipeda was found to be regenerating multiple arms
simultaneously and had the highest rate of regeneration. Regeneration rates differed by species;
mostly likely influenced by habitat, ecology and biology of each species.
SUGGESTED CITATION:
Sarah Chinn,
"Habitat Distribution and Comparison of Brittle Star (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea) Arm Regeneration on Moorea, French Polynesia"
(December 1, 2006).
Water Resources Center Archives.
Biology and Geomorphology of Tropical Islands (ESPM 107/IB 158).
Paper chinn.
http://repositories.cdlib.org/wrca/moorea/chinn
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