Ophiolimna antarctica

F 159772.

Family - Ophiacanthidae.

Description

The disc is flat, 5 mm diameter. The radial shields are covered. The dorsal surface is covered by plates, bearing spines/granules, with a visible diameter of 0.3–0.4 mm, overlapping; primary plates not visible. Disc spines or granules of one type, cylindrical and pointed or conical, with thorns at the tip or thorns in the mid region. The spines are up to 0.2–0.55 mm long, and 1–4 times high as wide; sparsely distributed or densely distributed.

The ventral interradial surface is plated. The oral shields are covered in granules. The adoral shields are covered in granules. 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, as wide as long. Oral papillae are present along each jaw angle in a series, quadrangular. The oral tentacle pore is located inside the jaw, with distal oral papilla enlarged, and quadrangular.

The specimen has five arms, unbranched, moniliform or basally constricted, 6–8 times d.d. Dorsal arm plates, separated, without spines/granules; fan-shaped, and 0.4–0.9 times long as wide. The second ventral arm plates are contiguous with the third plate, fan-shaped (some with notched distal edge), notched or concave laterally, and 0.55–0.7 times long as wide. Ventral arm plates of the first free segments separated, quadrangular or fan-shaped (some with notched distal edge), notched or concave laterally, and 0.85–1 times long as wide. Tentacle pores along the arm, with one scale, 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 2.5–3 times as long as one arm segment, pointed, cylindrical. There are thorns (small), in longitudinal series on the surface from the base to the tip of the spine or hapazardly on the spine surface, all along the spine, glassy transparent shaft.

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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