south boreal component is represented only by Mesothuria connectens reported for
the archipelago by Mortensen (1927) from material collected by the Talisman
expedition in 1975 at 2,518 m. However, the South-Boreal-Temperate component
constitutes the 19 % of the species. It includes the shallow water species Antedon
bifida, Luidia ciliaris, Asterina gibbosa, Echinaster sepositus, Henricia sanguinolenta, Ophiocomina nigra, Echinocyamus pusillus, Aslia lefebrei, Pawsonia
saxicola, Stichopus tremulus, Holothuria forskali and Leptosynapta inhaerens, and
the deep water species Ophiomitrella clavigera, Amphilepis norvegica, Ophiactis
abysicola, Araeosoma fenestratum and Araeosoma histrix. The tropical (13 %) and
tropical-warm temperate faunas (13 %) are well represented. Except for Euapta
lappa which occurs at depths between 10 and 20 m and Ophiolepis paucispina,
which reaches a maximum depth of 37 m, all strictly tropical species present at the
archipelago occur in deep waters or over a wide range of depths. These include
Astropecten hermatophilus (15-1,500 m), Narcisia canariensis (25–155 m), Oreaster reticulatus and Astrophyton muricatum (0–70), Ophiomisidium pulchellum
(1,380–1,830 m), Ophiocoma pumila (0–368 m), Ophionereis sexradia (18–130),
Plesiodiadema antillarum (651–3,111), Diadema africana (0–400), Bathyplotes
pourtalesi (134–1,477 m) or Psychropotes semperiana (1,143–5,600 m). All of
these, except Astropecten hermatophilus, Narcisia canariensis and Ophionereis
sexradia.
The tropical-warm temperate component is represented mainly by Eastern
Atlantic-Mediterranean species as Astropecten aranciacus, Thethyaster subinermis, Chaetaster longipes, Peltaster placenta, Hacelia attenuata, Ophidiaster
ophidianus, Ophiomyxa pentagona, Astropartus mediterraneus, Ophiacantha
bidentata, Ophiacantha setosa, Ophiacantha valenciannensi, Ophiura (Dictenophiura) carnea, Ophiura grubei, Ophioderma longicaudum, Ophiopsila
Fig. 15.9 Origin and affinities of the echinoderm fauna of the Canary Islands in relation with the
thermal regions in the Atlantic described by Briggs (1996)
15 Echinoderms of the Canary Islands, Spain
491
the archipelago by Mortensen (1927) from material collected by the Talisman
expedition in 1975 at 2,518 m. However, the South-Boreal-Temperate component
constitutes the 19 % of the species. It includes the shallow water species Antedon
bifida, Luidia ciliaris, Asterina gibbosa, Echinaster sepositus, Henricia sanguinolenta, Ophiocomina nigra, Echinocyamus pusillus, Aslia lefebrei, Pawsonia
saxicola, Stichopus tremulus, Holothuria forskali and Leptosynapta inhaerens, and
the deep water species Ophiomitrella clavigera, Amphilepis norvegica, Ophiactis
abysicola, Araeosoma fenestratum and Araeosoma histrix. The tropical (13 %) and
tropical-warm temperate faunas (13 %) are well represented. Except for Euapta
lappa which occurs at depths between 10 and 20 m and Ophiolepis paucispina,
which reaches a maximum depth of 37 m, all strictly tropical species present at the
archipelago occur in deep waters or over a wide range of depths. These include
Astropecten hermatophilus (15-1,500 m), Narcisia canariensis (25–155 m), Oreaster reticulatus and Astrophyton muricatum (0–70), Ophiomisidium pulchellum
(1,380–1,830 m), Ophiocoma pumila (0–368 m), Ophionereis sexradia (18–130),
Plesiodiadema antillarum (651–3,111), Diadema africana (0–400), Bathyplotes
pourtalesi (134–1,477 m) or Psychropotes semperiana (1,143–5,600 m). All of
these, except Astropecten hermatophilus, Narcisia canariensis and Ophionereis
sexradia.
The tropical-warm temperate component is represented mainly by Eastern
Atlantic-Mediterranean species as Astropecten aranciacus, Thethyaster subinermis, Chaetaster longipes, Peltaster placenta, Hacelia attenuata, Ophidiaster
ophidianus, Ophiomyxa pentagona, Astropartus mediterraneus, Ophiacantha
bidentata, Ophiacantha setosa, Ophiacantha valenciannensi, Ophiura (Dictenophiura) carnea, Ophiura grubei, Ophioderma longicaudum, Ophiopsila
Fig. 15.9 Origin and affinities of the echinoderm fauna of the Canary Islands in relation with the
thermal regions in the Atlantic described by Briggs (1996)
15 Echinoderms of the Canary Islands, Spain
491