REVIEW OF OPHIODERMA 195 



Commonly there is a white or cream central splash that may radiate out 

 from the center of the disk. The arms are broadly banded for their entire 

 length in dull gray, green, or slate blue, alternating with 3 to 5 bands of 

 dark brown, maroon, dull rose, reddish-brown or combinations of these 

 colors. Very few specimens are colored alike or have the same pattern. 

 The under side is usually lighter, with faint arm banding seen on some 

 specimens. The under arm plates are light gray, pale yellow, light green 

 or light brown. 



Of the third color phase 527 specimens were collected from San 

 Pedro to Cape San Lucas, on rocky exposed coast open to the breakers 

 and the wash of the sea. It is found intertidally under rocks, on ledges, 

 among kelp holdfasts, and in rocky crevices. It has banded arms but the 

 basic color varies according to the latitude. It is noteworthy that it at- 

 tains a larger size than the other forms, several specimens from the en- 

 trance of Newport Bay, California, having a disk diameter of 45 mm 

 and an arm length of 198 mm. The common color pattern of the Cali- 

 fornia west coast specimens is a light tan disk with brown and darker 

 specks in the center, radiating out interbrachially. The radial shields are 

 exposed, with the outer margin bordered by concentric rings of light 

 yellow spots, within which are irregular light spots. The disk at the arm 

 bases is heavily mottled with white. The upper arm plates are pale brown 

 with a fine white transverse line along the proximal edge. Every third 

 or fourth arm segment is a dull white band, covering either one or two 

 segments. The under side of the disk is light brown speckled with yellow 

 and tan. Mouth parts, oral shields and under arm plates are light tan, 

 with only faint traces of the arm banding. 



Another series of specimens from a reef 10 miles west of Malarrimo 

 Point, Baja California, Mexico, have a uniform chocolate brown upper 

 disk. The upper arms are chocolate with white to grayish arm bands the 

 entire length of the arms. Distally the bands become lighter and more 

 conspicuous; basall}^, on older specimens, the banding is inconspicuous 

 and dull. The under side of the disk is grayish-tan, with irregular lighter 

 spots ; the under arms are grayish with duller arm banding. 



Two large series collected from Turtle Bay, Baja California, Mex- 

 ico, have a reddish-brown upper disk, becoming lighter brown on the 

 under side and often mottled with cream to gray centrally on the upper 

 surface. The upper arms are reddish-brown with mottled white and gray 

 bands the full length of the arm. The basal arm banding in the adult 

 becomes more inconspicuous with greater size. The oral shields are olive- 

 gray and the under arms light brown, becoming darker distally and with 

 faint banding continuous from the upper arms. 



