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

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. Based on the distribution patterns of its congeners, B. securis is expected to be widely distributed in other regions of the Indo-West Pacific. A newly recorded species, Breviturma krohi (Stöhr, Boissin & Hoareau, 2013), from Taiwan is also reported.