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 More images | Distribution map | F 159797, 159763. Family - Ophiactidae. |
Description The disc is flat, 7 mm diameter. The radial shields are D-shaped, separated and parallel to one another or contiguous distally, divergent proximally, with 1–2 plates between them, with triangular plate separating part of the shields; 2–2.7 times long as wide, and length 0.25 times d.d. The dorsal surface is covered by plates, bearing spines/granules, with a visible diameter of 0.2–0.8 mm, overlapping; primary plates visible or not visible. Disc spines or granules of one type, conical. The spines are up to 0.2–0.5 mm long, and 3–9 times high as wide; sparsely distributed or restricted to regions of the disc (not on radial shields). The ventral interradial surface is plated. The oral shields are exposed, fan shaped or bell shaped or diamond, wider than long. The adoral shields are exposed, extending to lateral edge of oral shield, separated radially, meeting interradially. Bursal slits reduced or extend from the oral shield to the disc margin, not bordered by spines or papillae. The jaw is wider than long, with one, rounded apical papilla, wider than long. Oral papillae are present along each jaw angle in a series or separated by a gap from apical papillae, pointed or rounded or quadrangular. The oral tentacle pore is located inside the jaw, with distal oral papilla enlarged, and rounded or quadrangular. The specimen has five arms, unbranched, moniliform, 3–8 times d.d. Dorsal arm plates, separated or contiguous becoming separate, without spines/granules; diamond or fan-shaped, and 0.4–0.7 times long as wide. The second ventral arm plates are contiguous with the third plate, fan-shaped, notched or concave laterally, and 0.4–0.7 times long as wide. Ventral arm plates of the first free segments contiguous, quadrangular or fan-shaped or diamond, notched or concave laterally, and 0.6–0.8 times long as wide. Tentacle pores along the arm, with one scale, covering the pore, oval. There are 2 arm spines on the first ventral segment, 3–4 on the first free segments. The spines are erect, extending laterally, subequal, and 0.5–2 times as long as one arm segment, pointed or blunt, cylindrical.
Description exported from Delta key and to be finalised when DNA sampling completed. Note species description and image characters may vary slightly in animals of different size within the same species. Cite this publication as: "T O'Hara
(2010). ‘Ophiuroids from deep sea southern Australia. Museum Victoria. Version:
1.0 http://www.museumvictoria.com.au/stars" MUSEUMVICTORIA |