Ophiura spinicantha

F 84033.

Family - Ophiuridae.

Description

The disc is flat, 6 mm diameter. The radial shields are triangular with rounded corners, contiguous distally, divergent proximally, with 1–3 plates between them; 1.7–1.9 times long as wide, and length 0.24 times d.d. The dorsal surface is covered by plates, bearing spines/granules, obscured by skin (thin epithelium), with a visible diameter of 0.4–0.6 mm, overlapping; primary plates not visible. Disc spines or granules of one type, cylindrical and pointed. The spines are up to 0.3–0.4 mm long, and 4–6 times high as wide; sparsely distributed. Arm comb present, with papillae long pointed spiniform, 2 or more time long as wide, separated radially.

The ventral interradial surface is plated. The oral shields are exposed, circular or arrow head shaped (rounded distally, notched laterally and pointed proximally), longer than wide. The adoral shields are exposed, proximal to lateral edge of oral shield, separated radially, meeting interradially. Bursal slits absent. The jaw is wider than long, with one, pointed or tapering apical papilla, longer than wide or as wide as long. 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, moniliform, 2–4 times d.d. Dorsal arm plates, contiguous, without spines/granules; fan-shaped or trapezoid, and 1.1–1.2 times long as wide. The second ventral arm plates are separated from the third plate, fan-shaped (some pointed/knob mid proximal edge), and 0.5–0.6 times long as wide. Ventral arm plates of the first free segments separated, squashed teardrop or diamond, and 0.55–0.65 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 2–3 arm spines on the first ventral segment, 2–3 on the first free segments. The spines are adpressed to arm, extending laterally, subequal, and 0.1–0.5 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

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