Amphipholis squamata

F 69138, 69092.

Family - Amphiuridae.

Description

The disc is flat, 1 mm diameter. The radial shields are triangular with rounded corners, contiguous over much of their length; 1.2–1.6 times long as wide, and length 0.24 times d.d. The dorsal surface is covered by plates, no spines/granules, with a visible diameter of 0.1–0.2 mm, overlapping; primary plates not visible.

The ventral interradial surface is without plates. The oral shields are exposed, teardrop or fan shaped, as long as wide. The adoral shields are exposed, extending to lateral edge of oral shield, separated radially, meeting interradially. Bursal slits reduced, not bordered by spines or papillae. The jaw is wider than 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, rounded. The oral tentacle pore is located inside the jaw, with distal oral papilla enlarged, and rounded.

The specimen has five arms, unbranched, moniliform, 3–5 times d.d. Dorsal arm plates, separated, without spines/granules; fan-shaped, and 0.75–0.9 times long as wide. The second ventral arm plates are separated from the third plate, fan-shaped, and 0.75–0.9 times long as wide. Ventral arm plates of the first free segments separated, pentagonal. Tentacle pores along the arm, with one scale, not covering the pore, oval. There are 2 arm spines on the first ventral segment, 4 on the first free segments. The spines are erect, extending laterally, subequal, and 1–1.5 times as long as one arm segment, pointed, 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

MUSEUMVICTORIA