6io 



BULLETIN OP THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



Family AMPHIURIDJE. 



Ophiopholis aculeata (Linnaeus i. 



Verrill and Smith, 1873, p. 719, 400, etc.; 

 Clark, 1904, p. 559; 1905, p. 6. 



Off Gay Head, 6 to 8 fathoms, rare. Verrill. 

 According to H. L. Clark (1904), this species is 

 "regarded as a rarity south of Cape Cod ; " he at 

 one time expressed the belief that ' ' the reported 

 cases of its occurrence in Vineyard Sound are 

 almost certainly cases of mistaken identifica- 

 tion. ' ' Recorded from six of the seven Survey 

 stations at Crab Ledge ; likewise from at least 

 one station in Vineyard Sound (probably Fish 

 Hawk station 7570), a specimen from which 

 was thus identified by Dr. Clark. Another 

 undoubted specimen of the same species was 

 dredged by the Marine Biological Laboratory 

 steamer Cayadetta at the mouth of Vineyard 

 Sound in September, 1909. 



Fish Hawk stations: 7603 (3, the largest 4 or 5 

 inches in diameter)*, 7605, 7606 (several 

 small), 7607 (several small), 7608 (many 

 small)*, 7609 (4)*; also at 7570 ? (see above) 

 and perhaps from other stations in Vineyard 

 Sound. 



Reported by both Verrill and Clark as being 

 eaten in large numbers by cod. 



Amphipholis squamata (Delle Chiaje). [Chart 50.] 

 Verrill and Smith, 1873, p. 720, 420, etc. (Am- 

 phipholis elegans); Clark, 1904, p. 559; 1905, 

 p. 6. 



Vineyard Sound, occasional. Verrill. Vine- 

 yard Sound, common, especially just east of 

 Nobska; Ram Island, Eel Pond, Crab Ledge, 

 Sankaty Head; rocky or shelly bottom, gen- 

 erally in cavities and interstices; "the com- 

 monest and most widely distributed of the 

 ophiurans in the Woods Hole region." Clark. 

 Fairly frequent throughout Vineyard Sound; 

 Buzzards Bay, at a number of stations; dredged 

 in 4 to 15 fathoms, on various bottoms. Sur- 



Amphipholis squamata Continued. 



vey. Hadley Harbor, on side toward Vine- 

 yard Sound; head of Great Harbor, Woods 

 Hole. G. M. Gray. 



Fish Hawk stations :& 7521 bis(?)*, 7537 bis (sev- 

 eral small)*, 7538 bis*, 7560(1 small)*, 7564(1. i 

 inch across)*, 7571 (i), 7581 (2), 7628 (i), 7672, 

 7674 (about 10), 7699*, 7703*, 7707*, 7730*, 

 7743*- 7744*. 77&o (?)*; Supplementary sta- 

 tions (1907): 7780 (i)*; (1909): 7671 (i). 



Phalarope stations: & 55 (2), 116*, 118. 



Viviparous. In July and August the adults 

 nearly always contain eggs and young. 

 Clark. 



Amphioplus abdita (Verrill). 



Verrill and Smith, 1873, p. 720, 433 (Amphiura 

 abdita)', Clark, 1908; Sumner, 1908, p. 319. 



Near Nobska Point and western shore of Buz- 

 zards Bay. One arm taken at each of the fol- 

 lowing stations: Fish Hawk 7776* (repetition 

 made Aug. 6, 1907), Phalarope stations 163* and 

 167*. Survey. Ram Island*, Aug., 1907 (col- 

 lected by G. M. Gray). Not listed by Verrill 

 for any point within this region. According to 

 the latter author this brittle star "buries itself 

 deeply beneath the surface of the soft mud, 

 and projects one or more of the long arms par- 

 tially above the surface of the mud;" hence 

 it is seldom dredged entire. 



Family GORGONOCEPHALID.B. 



Gorgonocephalus agassizii (Stimpson). Basket-fish, 

 "spider." 



Verrill and Smith, 1873, p. 722 (Astrophyton 

 agassizii): Clark, 1904, p. 561; 1905, p. 7. 



"First described from a specimen obtained 'not 

 far from the shoals of Nantucket,' by Gov- 

 ernor John Winthrop, in 1670 and 1671 . . . 

 under the name of 'basket fish 'or 'net fish. ' " 

 Verrill. Crab Ledge. Verrill, after V. N. 

 Edwards; H. L. Clark; Survey. 



Ophiuroids, unidentified (probably for the most part Amphipholis squamata). 



Fish Hawk stations: 7532 (i), 7536 (i), 7547 (i), 7552 (i, very small), 7564 (i small), 7568 (i), 7573 

 (i small), 7582 (i), 7599 (several), 7615 (i small), 7633 (i arm), c 7657 (i arm), 7660 (i arm). 

 Supplementary station (1909) : 7643 (i arm). 

 Phalarope stations: i (i), 2 (i), 3,8,9 (fragment), 26, 28, 29, 81, no (i), 132, 146 (2). 



a Specimens from stations 7605, 7606, and 7607 (Crab Ledge) were identified in the field, but not saved for later examination. 

 Hence the identity of these is somewhat doubtful, but not that of those from the other stations. Owing to a confusion of the 

 records, we are not certain from which of the Vineyard Sound stations the single undoubted Survey specimen came. Some 

 others, which were listed in the field under this name, were later found to be referable to the next species. 



& Here, also, probably belong most of the specimens listed as "Ophiuroids, unidentified." 



c Perhaps A mphioplus abdil* (Verrill). H. L. Clark. 



