Ophiolebes 3581

F 112106 (holotype), 93070, 89930, 80973.

Family - Ophiacanthidae.

Description

The disc is flat, interradial edge incised (slightly), 7.3 mm diameter. The radial shields are covered (with skin and spines); 2–2.65 mm long. The dorsal surface is covered by skin bearing spines/granules; primary plates not visible. Disc spines or granules of one type, cylindrical or dome-shaped (cylindrical with rounded ends, dome shape for smaller spines), with thorns all over. The spines are up to 0.1–0.4 mm long, and 0.9–1.3 times high as wide; sparsely distributed (7 per sq mm), covering the radial shields.

The ventral interradial surface is with skin, with no spines/granules. The oral shields are covered in skin. The adoral shields are covered in skin. Bursal slits extend from the oral shield to the disc margin, not bordered by spines or papillae. The jaw is as wide as long or wider than long, with one, pointed or tapering apical papilla or rounded apical papilla, longer than wide, with thorns. Oral papillae are present along each jaw angle in a series (gaps evident distally on some of the jaw edges), pointed or rounded, thorned. The oral tentacle pore is located inside the jaw, with distal oral papilla similar to other oral papillae or enlarged, and rounded.

The specimen has five arms, unbranched, moniliform, 4–5 times d.d., longest approximately 30–35 mm long, 2 mm wide at the base tapering to the tip. Dorsal arm plates not visible, covered by skin, without spines/granules. The first ventral arm plates are not visible. The second ventral arm plates are not visible, covered by skin. Ventral arm plates of the first free segments not visible, covered. Tentacle pores absent (covered by skin). There are 3 arm spines on the first ventral segment, 5 on the first free segments. The spines are erect, extending around to the dorsal surface, longest dorsally, 0.5–0.8 mm long, 3–6 times long as wide, and 0.5–1 times as long as one arm segment, pointed, cylindrical. There are thorns, hapazardly on the spine surface, all along the spine, glassy transparent shaft, with hooks. Distal ventral arm spines with a prominent longitudinal series of thorns on one side (occassionally on other spines); spines also ventral spine specialised, or skin partially (at base) or completely covering spine.

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"
Information updated 5 February 2010

MUSEUMVICTORIA