Description of a new brittle star of the genus Breviturma (Ophiuroidea: Ophiocomidae), with a new record from Taiwan

This dataset contains the digitized treatments in Plazi based on the original journal article Chang, Kai, Shih, Hsi-Te (2025): Description of a new brittle star of the genus Breviturma (Ophiuroidea: Ophiocomidae), with a new record from Taiwan. European Journal of Taxonomy 997: 28-50, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2025.997.2919, URL: europeanjournaloftaxonomy.eu/index.php/ejt/article/download/2919/13213 Abstract. The genus Breviturma, a group of brittle stars inhabiting intertidal and shallow subtidal zones, includes eight recognized species distributed mainly across the Indo-West Pacific.

This study describes a new species, Breviturma securis sp. nov., from Taiwan. The new species is distinguishable from its congeners through both morphological and molecular evidence, including disc granule density, arm spine sequences, and distinctive color patterns on the dorsal disc and dorsal arm plates. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA and COI genes support its unique status, revealing interspecific divergence distances of 18.27–26.66% between B. securis and other congeners in the Indo-West Pacific.