Amphiophiura laudata

F 110539, 93080.

Family - Ophiuridae.

Description

The disc is tumid, 12 mm diameter. The radial shields are covered or round or triangular with rounded corners (partially covered by plates), contiguous over much of their length or contiguous distally, divergent proximally, with 1 plates between them; 1–1.35 times long as wide, and length 0.2 times d.d. The dorsal surface is covered by plates, no spines/granules, with a visible diameter of 1.1–3.1 mm, overlapping, with distinct centrodorsdal plate or with single interradial marginal 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, triangular, longer than wide. The adoral shields are exposed, proximal to lateral edge of oral shield, separated radially, meeting interradially. Bursal slits extend from the oral shield to the disc margin, bordered by spines or papillae, blunt or rounded, as wide as long, usually contiguous. The jaw is as wide as long, with one or two, pointed or tapering apical papilla or rounded apical papilla, as wide as long. Oral papillae are present along each jaw angle in a series, 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, basally constricted, 3–5 times d.d. Dorsal arm plates, contiguous, without spines/granules; fan-shaped, and 0.5–0.6 times long as wide. The second ventral arm plates are contiguous with the third plate, fan-shaped, and 0.6–0.9 times long as wide. Ventral arm plates of the first free segments contiguous, hexagonal, and 0.7–0.8 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 0–2 arm spines on the first ventral segment, 2–3 on the first free segments. The spines are adpressed to arm, extending laterally, subequal, and 0.5–1 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"
Information updated 5 February 2010

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