Ophiomusium lymani

F 80825.

Family - Ophiuridae.

Description

The disc is flat (arms inserted), 28 mm diameter. The radial shields are triangular with rounded corners, separated and parallel to one another, with 1–2 plates between them; 0.9–1.4 times long as wide, and length 0.28 times d.d. The dorsal surface is covered by plates, no spines/granules, obscured by skin (thin covering of skin), with a visible diameter of 0.2–1.7 mm, touching; primary plates not visible.

The ventral interradial surface is plated. The oral shields are exposed, pear-shaped, longer than wide. The adoral shields are exposed, proximal to lateral edge of oral shield or extending to lateral edge of oral shield, separated radially, meeting interradially. Bursal slits reduced, not bordered by spines or papillae. The jaw is as wide as 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, quadrangular. The oral tentacle pore is located inside the jaw, with distal oral papilla enlarged, and quadrangular.

The specimen has five arms, unbranched, basally constricted, 4–5 times d.d. Dorsal arm plates, separated, without spines/granules; diamond, and 0.9–1.1 times long as wide. The second ventral arm plates are separated from the third plate, triangular or trapezoid, and 0.9–1.25 times long as wide. Ventral arm plates of the first free segments no ventral arm plates - lateral plates surround arm. Tentacle pores absent or on the first 2 segments, with one scale, covering the pore, oval. There are 0 arm spines on the first ventral segment, 6–8 on the first free segments. The spines are adpressed to arm, extending around to the dorsal surface, subequal, and 0.1 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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