Ophiosphalma laqueatum (Lyman, 1878)

Baker, Alan N., 2016, An illustrated catalogue of type specimens of the bathyal brittlestar genera Ophiomusium Lyman and Ophiosphalma H. L. Clark (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea), Zootaxa 4097 (1), pp. 1-40 : 33

Ophiosphalma laqueatum (Lyman, 1878) .

Figures 54 a, b

Ophiomusium laqueatum Lyman, 1878 ; Matsumoto, 1917.

Holotype, BMNH 82.12.23.417, Challenger station 192, between Teniber and Aru Ids, Arafura Sea, 236 m; MCZ 3085.

Main features: Disc 14 mm diameter, covered with small imbricating scales, large, smooth radial shields dominant, and separated by many scales. Diamond-shaped dorsal arm plates large and throughout arm. Lateral plates with 4 arm spines, 3 clumped together low down, and one smaller spine isolated dorsally. Small supplementary lateral arm plates present.

Small oral shield, ventral interradial area with about 10 large rounded plates. Oral papillae block-like and only fused distally. Genital slits reach from adoral plates to disc edge and are noticeably wider at their distal end. Three pairs of exposed tentacle pores, the first two larger than the third. Each with an oval scale.

Figures

FIGURE 54. Ophiosphalma laqueatum BMNH 82.12.23.417: a, b, dorsal and ventral disc sectors; c, basal arm segments. FIGURE 55. Ophiosphalma monoplax MCZ 509: a, b, dorsal and ventral disc sectors; c, view into one side of arm base, showing 3 basal lateral arm plates, and genital plates with prominent tooth-like papillae.