Ophiacantha vivipara

F 82365, 82364.

Family - Ophiacanthidae.

Description

The disc is flat, 9 mm diameter. The radial shields are covered. The dorsal surface is covered by plates, bearing spines/granules, with a visible diameter of 0.2–0.4 mm, overlapping; primary plates not visible. Disc spines or granules of one type, cylindrical or lanceolate or dome-shaped, with thorns all over. The spines are up to 0.2–0.6 mm long, and 1–4 times high as wide; densely distributed.

The ventral interradial surface is plated. The oral shields are exposed, fan shaped or bell shaped, as long as wide. The adoral shields are exposed, extending to lateral edge of oral shield, separated radially, meeting interradially. Bursal slits extend from the oral shield to the disc margin, not bordered by spines or papillae. The jaw is as wide as long, with one, pointed or tapering apical papilla, longer than wide. Oral papillae are present along each jaw angle in a series, pointed or rounded. The oral tentacle pore is located inside the jaw (out), with distal oral papilla enlarged, and rounded.

The specimen has six arms of equal length, unbranched, moniliform, 5–7 times d.d. Dorsal arm plates, separated, without spines/granules; fan-shaped, and 0.6–0.8 times long as wide. The second ventral arm plates are separated from the third plate. Ventral arm plates of the first free segments separated. Tentacle pores along the arm, with one scale, covering the pore, oval. There are 4–6 arm spines on the first ventral segment, 7 on the first free segments. The spines are erect, extending around to the dorsal surface, subequal or longest dorsally, and 3–4 times as long as one arm segment, pointed, cylindrical. There are thorns, in longitudinal series on the surface from the base to the tip of the spine, all along the spine, glassy transparent shaft.

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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