Ophiomisidium flabellum

F 52668.

Family - Ophiuridae.

Description

The disc is flat (raised/tiered), 4 mm diameter. The radial shields are round or triangular with rounded corners, contiguous distally, divergent proximally, with 1 plates between them; 1–1.2 times long as wide, and length 0.16–0.18 times d.d. The dorsal surface is covered by plates, bearing spines/granules, with a visible diameter of 0.2–0.5 mm, overlapping; primary plates not visible. Disc spines or granules of one type, conical. The spines are up to 0.1–0.2 mm long, and 1.1–1.4 times high as wide; restricted to regions of the disc (along disc edge).

The ventral interradial surface is plated. The oral shields are exposed, circular or teardrop, as long as wide. The adoral shields are exposed, extending to lateral edge of oral shield, separated radially, meeting interradially. Bursal slits absent. 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 similar to other oral papillae.

The specimen has five arms, unbranched, basally constricted, 1–3 times d.d. Dorsal arm plates, separated, without spines/granules; diamond or fan-shaped, and 0.6–0.75 times long as wide. The second ventral arm plates are separated from the third plate, rounded or hexagonal, notched or concave laterally, and 0.9–1.1 times long as wide. Ventral arm plates of the first free segments separated, diamond, and 0.6–0.8 times long as wide. Tentacle pores on the first 3 segments, with one scale, covering the pore, oval. There are 0 arm spines on the first ventral segment, 2 on the first free segments. The spines are adpressed to arm, extending laterally, subequal, and 0.1–0.25 times as long as one arm segment, 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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