60 



OPHIUR/K. 



OPHIURIDJE. 



OPHIURJE. 



COMMON BRITTLE-STAR. 



Ophiocoma rosula. Link. 



Specific Character. — Disk convex, rounded, covered with spines of various 

 lengths. Two large triangular parallel plates opposite the origin of each ray. 

 Upper ray-scales triangular, carinated, imbricated. Lateral ray-plates, bearing 

 five spines each, which are much longer than the breadth of the ray. 



Rusula scolopendroides, Link, pi. xxxvii. fig. 65 ; pi. xxvi. fig. 



xlii. Encyc. Metr. pi. cxxiii. f. 6-7. 



Borlase, Cornwall, t. xxv. fig. 1 9-24. 

 Asterias ciliata, Muller, Zool. Dan. Prod. No. 4842. 



Asterias fragilis, Abilgaard, in Mailer's Zool. Dan. III. 



p. 28, t. xcviii. 

 Asterias joentaphylla, varia, aculeata, hastata, fissa, et nigra, Pennant, Brit. Zool. 



IV. pp. 64, 65, Nos. 64-69. 

 Opliiura ciliaris, fragilis, et rosularia, Lamarck, Anim. sans Vert. 1 Edit. II. p. 



545-6 ; 2 Edit. III. p. 224-6. 

 OpJiiiira vulgaris, Leach, Zool. Misc. II. p. 54. 



