Ophiura 4527

F 93201.

Family - Ophiuridae.

Description

The disc is flat, 23 mm diameter. The radial shields are elongated oval, separated and parallel to one another, with 1–3 plates between them; 1.3–1.7 times long as wide, and length 0.17 times d.d. The dorsal surface is covered by plates, no spines/granules, with a visible diameter of 0.5–1.7 mm, touching, with distinct centrodorsdal plate; primary plates not visible. Arm comb present, with papillae blunt or round ended, as wide as long, separated radially.

The ventral interradial surface is plated. The oral shields are exposed, pentagonal, wider than long or as long as wide. The adoral shields are exposed, extending to lateral edge of oral shield, separated radially, meeting interradially. Bursal slits extend from the oral shield to the disc margin, not bordered by spines or papillae. The jaw is as wide as long, with one, pointed or tapering apical papilla, longer than wide. Oral papillae are present along each jaw angle in a series, rounded or quadrangular. The oral tentacle pore is located out of the jaw on top of the ventral disc, with a ring of scales surrounding the pore.

The specimen has five arms, unbranched, moniliform. Dorsal arm plates, contiguous, without spines/granules; quadrangular or trapezoid, and 0.4–0.7 times long as wide. The second ventral arm plates are contiguous with the third plate, trapezoid or fan-shaped, notched or concave laterally, and 0.7–0.85 times long as wide. Ventral arm plates of the first free segments separated, squashed teardrop, and 0.4–0.6 times long as wide. Tentacle pores along the arm, with several scales as a ring of many scales around the pore, reducing in number, not covering the pore, oval. There are 0–1 arm spines on the first ventral segment, 3 on the first free segments. The spines are adpressed to arm, extending laterally, subequal, and 0.1–0.5 times as long as one arm segment, 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"
Information updated 5 February 2010

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