23 



tornede TMundpapiller. Disse sidste Karaktermærker synes 

 at afvige mest fra dem hos Ophiacantha bidentata og alt- 

 saa berettige Dannelsen af en ny Art. Imidlertid er 

 Ophiacantha bidentata underkastede mange Variationer. 

 Duncan og Sladen siger endog: ..The variations dependent 

 on growth are very considerably, so much so that isolated 

 specimens tåken from different stages in the series might 

 easily be regarded as affording the types of distinct 

 species - ' *). Ophiacantha fraterna bor derfor ikke be- 

 tragtes som en egen selvstændig Art, men som en Varietet 

 af Ophiacantha bidentata, saameget mere da man med Let- 

 hed kan paavise Overgangsformer mellem disse to. om man 

 har tilstrækkeliet stort Materiale til Sammenligning. 



Findested. 



Station Xo. 48 Temmelig hyppig. 



— ,,101 6 Exemplarer. 



.. 200 2 — 



— „ 223 Meget almi tidelig. 



— „ 224 — — 



,. 226 Almindelig. 



— .. 237 Særdeles talrig. 



— Saltstrømmen, 90 Fv. 4 Exemplarer. 

 — . No. 262 1 Exemplar. 



— .. 267 5 Exemplarer. 



— .. 290 4 — 



315 Nogle faa Exemplarer. 



— .. 322 .... . - — 

 „ 326 Almindelig. 



„ 336 1 Exemplar. 



,, 337 Særdeles talrig. 



— .. 357 Almindelig. 



— ,,363 — 



374 1 Exemplar. 



Udbredelse. 



Foruden ved Finmarken og Lofoten, hvor Arten 

 ifølge M. Sårs skal være meget almindelig paa 20 — 50 

 Favnes Dyb (20 — 80 Fv., Danielssen), er den fanden ved 

 Bodø, 80—100 Fv. (G. O. Sårs); Christianssund, 50—60 

 Fv.. Herlø, 190 Fv. (M. Sårs). Arten skal ifølge M. Sårs 

 ved den norske Kyst gaa ned til 300 Favnes Dyb. 



Ophiacantha bidentata forekommer endvidere i Kara- 

 havet og den Kariske Port (Levinsen, 20 — 106 Fv., Stux- 

 berg. 2U— 150 Fv.); Barentshavet (Hoffmann. Marenzeller, 

 65 — 122^2 Fv.); Spitsbergen (Loven m. ti.); Jan Mayen, 



coarser brachial spikes, finer and more pointed pedal 

 papillæ (tentacle scales) and sharp thorny oral papillæ. 

 Those last characteristic features seem to differ most from 

 those of Ophiacantha bidentata, and consequently warrant 

 the formation of a new species. However, Ophiacantha 

 bidentata is subjected to rna ny variations. Duncan and 

 Sladen even remark: "The variations dependent on growth 

 are very considerable, so much so that isolated specimens 

 tåken from different stages in the series might easily be 

 regarded as affording the types of distinct species*' "■). 

 Ophiacantha fraterna ought, therefore, not to be con- 

 sidered as an independent species by itself, but as a variety 

 of Ophiacantha bidentata, so much the more, that we may 

 with ease observe transition-forms between those two if 

 we have a sufficiently abundant material for comparison. 



Localities. 



Station Xo. 48 Pretty frecpient. 



„ 101 6 specimens. 



.. 200 .... 2 



223 Very common. 



,,224 - 



226 Common. 



„ 237 Particularly abundant. 



Saltstrommen, 90 fath. 4 specimens. 



— No. 262 1 specimen. 



267 5 specimens. 



,,290 4 



„ 315 A fe w specimens. 



— ,,322 — — 



326 Common. 



„ 336 1 specimen. 



337 Particularly abundant. 



..357 Common. 



— .. 363 — 



374 1 specimen. 



Distribution. 



Besides at Finmark and Lofoten, where, according 

 to M. Sårs, the species is very common at 20—50 fathoms 

 depth (20 — 80 faths. Danielssen), it is met with at Bodo, 

 80—100 faths. (G. O. Sårs); Christianssund, 50—60 faths.; 

 Herlo, 190 faths. (M. Sårs). According to M. Sårs the 

 species passes on the Norwegian coast down to a depth of 

 300 fathoms. 



Ophiacantha bidentata is further met with in the Kara 

 Sea and the Strait of Kara (Levinsen, 20 — 106 fath., 

 Stuxberg, 20 — 150 fath.); the Barents Sea (Hoffmann, 

 Marenzeller, 65 — 122"-/ 2 fath.); Spitzbergen (Loven and 



') Cfr. Duncan: On the Zool. Positiun of the Ophiurans ob- 

 tained by Dr. Wallich during the voyage of H. M. S. "Bulldog'' 

 in 18(i0, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. :>, vol. III, 1879, pag. 382. 



') Crap. Duncan: On the Zool. Position of the Ophiurans ob- 

 tained by Dr. Wallich during the voyage of H.M.S. "Bulldog" 

 in 1860, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 5, vol. HI, 1ST9, pag. 382. 



