NORTH PACIFIC OPHIURANS IN NATIONAL MUSEUM CLARK. 9 



Leaving Ophiura flagellata and 0. irrorata to be considered later, we 

 find that with the single exception of Ophiacaniha rhachophora it is 

 possible to assign each of the above species to its proper fauna, and 

 by so doing it appears that of the total 189 species 114, or more 

 than 60 per cent, belong to the Honshu fauna and 35, or 18.5 per cent, 

 belong to the Bering fauna. The two faunas therefore include about 

 four-fifths of the species collected. 



The next most important group of species is made up of those 

 which occur throughout the entire North Pacific or which have been 

 taken at such widely separated stations, it seems most probable that 

 such is their distribution. There are fourteen species in this group, 

 as follows: 



Ophiura sarsii. From 55 59 X N. to 32 27' N. in the Eastern Sea and to Monterey on 



the California coast; 5 to 695 fathoms. 

 Ophiura leptoctenia. From 55 35 X N. to 33 35' 20" on the eastern coast of Japan and 



to 47 22 X on the American coast; 67 to 1,771 fathoms. 

 Ophiura eryptolepis. From 58 17 X N. to 34 10 X 30" on the Japanese coast and to 47 



29 X 30" on the American; 230 to 636 fathoms. 

 Ophiura ponderosa. From 58 17 X N. to 48 43' 30" on the Asiatic coast and to 36 49 X 



20" on the American; 75 to 456 fathoms. 

 Ophiocien pacificum. From 51 23' N. to 34 4 X 20" on the Japanese coast and to 45 



30 X on the American; 501 to 876 fathoms. 

 Ophiomusium lymani. From 52 29 X to 30 59' on the Japanese coast and to 47 22' on 



the American; 70 to 1,588 fathoms. 

 Ophiomusium jolliensis. From 45 9 X 35" N. to 33 35 X 20" on the Japanese coast and 



to 36 49 X 20" on the American; 167 to 505 fathoms. 

 Ophiopholis aculeata and varieties. From 58 N. to middle Japan and California; 



shore to 1,030 fathoms. 

 Amphiura carchara. From 56 55 X N'. to 35 9 X 40" on the Japanese coast and to 47 25 X 



30" on the American; 60 to 1,973 fathoms. 

 Amphiodia euryaspis. From 54 36 X 30" N. to 36 6 X 5" on the Japanese coast and to 



36 44' 45" on the American; 68 to 318 fathoms. 

 Ophiacaniha normani. From 58 17 X N. to 32 32 X on the Japanese coast and to 45 9 X 



35" on the American; 40 to 987 fathoms. 

 Ophicantha bairdi. From 54 32 X N. to 33 53 X N. on the Japanese coast and to 47 29 X 



30" on the American; 344 to 943 fathoms. 

 Asteronyx loveni. From 57 N. to 34 on the Japanese coast and to 3G 41 X 50" on the 



American; 83 to 918 fathoms. 

 Gorgonocephalus caryi. From 59 22 X N. to 30 57 X 20" on the Japanese coast and to 37 



21 X on the American; 8 to 578 fathoms. 



An examination of this list reveals some very interesting facts. 

 Of the fourteen species nine were previously known, and six of these 

 from outside the North Pacific region, as here restricted; five are 

 known from the Atlantic Ocean. All of the fourteen show a consid- 

 erable bathymetrical range; ten occur in less than 100 fathoms, while 

 all are found at depths exceeding 300 fathoms; three have a 

 bathymetrical range of over 1,500 fathoms. With only one excep- 

 tion these species extend farther south on the Asiatic than on the 

 American coast. As would naturally be expected, nearly all have 



