Ophioleuce regulare

F 60314.

Family - Ophioleucidae.

Description

The disc is tumid, 2 mm diameter. The radial shields are triangular with rounded corners, separated and parallel to one another, with 1 plates between them; 0.85–0.95 times long as wide, and length 0.13 times d.d. The dorsal surface is covered by plates, bearing spines/granules, with a visible diameter of 0.2–0.4 mm, touching; primary plates not visible. Disc spines or granules of one type, dome-shaped or conical. The spines are up to 0.05–0.1 mm long, and 1–2 times high as wide; restricted to regions of the disc (in lines along plate boundaries).

The ventral interradial surface is plated. The oral shields are exposed, fan shaped, wider than long or as long as wide. The adoral shields are exposed, extending to lateral edge of oral shield, separated radially, meeting interradially. Bursal slits reduced, not bordered by spines or papillae. The jaw is wider than long, with one, pointed or tapering apical papilla, longer than wide. Oral papillae are present along each jaw angle in a series, rounded. 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, basally constricted, 2–3 times d.d. Dorsal arm plates, contiguous becoming separate, without spines/granules; fan-shaped, and 1–1.4 times long as wide. The second ventral arm plates are contiguous with the third plate, fan-shaped (sometimes notched distal edge), notched or concave laterally, and 0.85–1 times long as wide. Ventral arm plates of the first free segments separated, quadrangular or fan-shaped, notched or concave laterally, and 0.9–1.1 times long as wide. Tentacle pores on the first 3 segments or along the arm, with one scale, not covering the pore or covering the pore, oval. There are 1–2 arm spines on the first ventral segment, 2 on the first free segments. The spines are adpressed to arm (erect in dried specimen), extending laterally, subequal, and 0.25–0.75 times as long as one arm segment, pointed, 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

MUSEUMVICTORIA