Ophiacantha 5493

F 146273 (holotype), 146272.

Family - Ophiacanthidae.

Description

The disc is flat, 4 mm diameter. The radial shields are covered. The dorsal surface is covered by plates, bearing spines/granules, with a visible diameter of 0.2–0.4 mm, overlapping, and 10–13 plates from the centre to the disc margin; primary plates not visible. Disc spines or granules of one type, cylindrical (slightly conical), with multiple, more than 3, terminal points/thorns (as single and bifid projections), with thorns all over. The spines are up to 0.1–0.2 mm long, and 1–3 times high as wide; densely distributed (20–35 per sq mm), covering the radial shields.

The ventral interradial surface is plated, with spines/granules also covering the surface. The oral shields are exposed, fan shaped or diamond, wider than long. 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 or wider than long, with one, pointed or tapering apical papilla, longer than wide, with thorns. Oral papillae separated by a gap from apical papillae, pointed, thorned. The oral tentacle pore is located inside the jaw (at the top of the jaw edge), with distal oral papilla similar to other oral papillae.

The specimen has five arms, unbranched, moniliform or basally constricted (slightly constricted), 2–3 times d.d. (incomplete), longest approximately 10 mm long, 1 mm wide at the base tapering to the tip. Dorsal arm plates, separated, without spines/granules; fan-shaped, 0.3–0.5 mm long, and 0.7–1 times long as wide. The first ventral arm plates are separated from the second plate or contiguous with the second plate, fan, 0.2–0.3 mm long, and 0.6–0.8 times long as wide. The second ventral arm plates are separated from the third plate, fan-shaped, notched or concave laterally, 0.3–0.4 mm long, and 0.5–0.8 times long as wide. Ventral arm plates of the first free segments separated, oval (with point proximally), notched or concave laterally, 0.4–0.5 mm long, and 1–1.5 times long as wide. The lateral arm plates touch one another laterally, or meet on the dorsal and ventral midlines. Tentacle pores along the arm, with one scale, covering the pore, pointed. There are 4 arm spines on the first ventral segment, 7–8 on the first free segments. The spines are erect, extending around to the dorsal surface, longest dorsally, 1.2–1.4 mm long, 10–14 times long as wide, and 2–3 times as long as one arm segment, pointed, cylindrical. There are thorns, in longitudinal series on the surface from the base to the tip of the spine, all along the spine, glassy rough shaft, with hooks. Distal ventral arm spines with a prominent longitudinal series of thorns on one side; spines also ventral spine specialised.

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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