The EcMnoderm Found of South 'Africa. .'!'i! ' 



* OPHIOCOMA SCHOENLEINII. 



Muller and Troschel, 1842. Syst. Ast., p. 99. H. L. Clark, 1915. Mem. 

 _ M. C. Z., vol. 25, pi. 15, figs. 1, 2. 



Bell (1884, ALERT Rep. p. 510) records this species, without com- 

 ment, from Mozambique. As it is not otherwise known from west 

 of the East Indies, the record must be regarded as dubious, to say 

 the least. 



* OPHIOCOMA VALENCIAE. 



Muller and Troschel, 1842. Syst. Ast., p. 102. H. L. Clark, 1915. Mem. 

 M. C, Z., vol. 25, pi. 16, figs. 7, 8. 



This species is well known from Mozambique and northward. 



OPHIOMASTIX VENOSA. 



Peters, 1851. Monatsb. K. Preus. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, p. 464. 

 Koehler, 1904, Mem. Soc. Zool. France, vol. 17, p. 73, figs. 28, 29. 



This handsome species is well known from Zanzibar but has not 

 hitherto been recorded from Mozambique. A specimen from the latter 

 place, collected by K. H. Barnard, in November, 1912, is in the 

 present collection. It is of more than usual interest because, although 

 it is about 20 mm. across the disk, and shows the specific characters 

 clearly, there are no spines or granules whatever on the disk, and 

 hence the specimen would properly be assigned to the genus Ophl- 

 arthrum. Koehler's figure shows no disk spines, but I have not pre- 

 viously noted a specimen, in which they were wholly wanting. 



OPHIODERMATIDAE. 



This is another family, like the preceding, characteristic of tropical 

 shores and represented by few species outside of the tropics. In 

 South African waters, four species have been found and three of 

 these are in the present collection. It is very interesting to note 

 that three and perhaps all of these species are peculiar to South 

 Africa. They are distinguished from each other as follows : 



Key to the South African Species of Ophiodermatidae. 



Two long genital slits in each interbrachial area. 



Granulation of lower surface of disk completely covers oral shields and face 

 of jaws ...... Cryptopelta aster. 



Oral shields . large and bare, generally with an accessory shield on distal side 



Ophiarachnella capensis. 



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