Ophiomastus sp3

F 159674.

Family - Ophiuridae.

Description

The disc is tumid, 3 mm diameter. The radial shields are covered. The dorsal surface is covered by plates, no spines/granules, with a visible diameter of 0.7–1 mm, overlapping, with single interradial marginal plate; primary plates not visible.

The ventral interradial surface is plated. The oral shields are exposed, triangular or fan shaped or diamond, 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 absent. The oral tentacle pore is located out of the jaw on top of the ventral disc, with can't distinguish.

The specimen has five arms, unbranched, moniliform or basally constricted, 3–5 times d.d. Dorsal arm plates, separated, without spines/granules; fan-shaped, and 0.6–0.7 times long as wide. The second ventral arm plates are separated from the third plate or contiguous with the third plate, fan-shaped, notched or concave laterally, and 0.7–0.9 times long as wide. Ventral arm plates of the first free segments separated, fan-shaped or diamond, notched or concave laterally, and 0.75–1 times long as wide. Tentacle pores along the arm, with one scale, covering the pore, oval (as long as adjacent ventral arm plate). There are 0–2 arm spines on the first ventral segment, 2 on the first free segments. The spines are erect, extending laterally, subequal, and 0.25–0.75 times as long as one arm segment, pointed, flattened.

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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