Ophiura irrorata

F 159787, 159788.

Family - Ophiuridae.

Description

The disc is flat, 8 mm diameter. The radial shields are triangular with rounded corners, contiguous distally, divergent proximally, with 1 plates between them; 0.9–1.1 times long as wide, and length 0.22 times d.d. The dorsal surface is covered by plates, no spines/granules, with a visible diameter of 0.25–0.85 mm, overlapping, with single interradial marginal plate; primary plates 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, pentagonal (some slightly notched), 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 or wider than long, with one or two, pointed or tapering apical papilla, longer than wide. Oral papillae are present along each jaw angle in a series, rounded or 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, moniliform or basally constricted, 3–5 times d.d. Dorsal arm plates, contiguous becoming separate, without spines/granules; diamond or fan-shaped, and 0.9–1.4 times long as wide. The second ventral arm plates are contiguous with the third plate, rounded or quadrangular, and 0.9–1.1 times long as wide. Ventral arm plates of the first free segments separated, squashed teardrop, and 0.5–0.7 times long as wide. Tentacle pores along the arm, with several scales as a ring of many scales around the pore, reducing in number, covering the pore, oval. There are 0–2 arm spines on the first ventral segment, 3 on the first free segments. The spines are adpressed to arm, extending laterally, subequal, and 0.25–0.75 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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