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 More images | Distribution map | F 89900, 71403. Family - Ophiotrichidae. |
Description The disc is flat, 15 mm diameter. The radial shields are triangular with rounded corners, contiguous over much of their length or contiguous distally, divergent proximally; 2 times long as wide, and length 0.33–0.4 times d.d. The dorsal surface is covered by plates, bearing spines/granules, obscured by skin, with a visible diameter of 0.3–0.5 mm, overlapping; primary plates not visible. Disc spines or granules of one type, cylindrical or conical, with thorns all over. The spines are up to 0.7–1.3 mm long, and 8–15 times high as wide; densely distributed or restricted to regions of the disc (not on the radial shields). The ventral interradial surface is with skin-covered plates. The oral shields are covered in skin or exposed, heart shaped, wider than long. The adoral shields are covered in skin or 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 longer than wide or as wide as long, with cluster of, pointed or tapering apical papilla, longer than wide. Oral papillae absent. The oral tentacle pore is located inside the jaw, with distal oral papilla none. The specimen has five arms, unbranched, moniliform, 5–8 times d.d. Dorsal arm plates or dorsal arm plates not visible, covered by skin, contiguous, without spines/granules; diamond, and 0.5 times long as wide. The second ventral arm plates are contiguous with the third plate, covered by skin, rounded or quadrangular, and 0.75–1 times long as wide. Ventral arm plates of the first free segments contiguous, oval or quadrangular or hexagonal, notched or concave laterally, and 0.75–0.85 times long as wide. Tentacle pores along the arm, with one scale, not covering the pore, oval. There are 2–3 arm spines on the first ventral segment, 5–6 on the first free segments. The spines are erect, extending around to the dorsal surface, subequal or longest in middle, and 3–6 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 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" MUSEUMVICTORIA |