MUSEUM OF COMPAKATIVE ZOOLOGY. 281 



Ophiocreas spinulosus sp. nov. 



Plate VIII. Figs. 133-135. 



Special Marks. — Radial shields beset with short, blunt spines, which are 

 continued along the upper side of the arms. 



Description of an Individual (Station 269). — Diameter of disk 8 mm. 

 Length of arm 60 mm. Width of arm, 10 mm. from disk, 2.5 mm. Height 

 of arm at same point 3 mm. Mouth-angles well separated from each other and 

 bearing on the upper part of their sides a number of grains which have some- 

 what the look of mouth-papillfE. Seven short, wide flat teeth, with a rounded 

 cutting edge; below them is an imperfect tooth, or a couple of papillae. Arms 

 higher than wide, and widest above. The covering skin is smooth and rather 

 loose, and the joints are scarcely indicated. The upper surface bears short 

 blunt spines, a pair to each joint; but these are not found beyond the base of 

 the arm. The first pore beyond the mouth-.?lit lias no tentacle-scale; the sec- 

 ond, one; and the next, two, which are cylindrical, blunt, and somewhat taper- 

 ing, the lower one being about 2 mm. long, and the upper one shorter. Farther 

 out on the arm they become more slender, and at the extreme tip take on the 

 form of minute double hooks. Disk high and angular with interbrachial 

 spaces re-enteringly 'curved. Radial shields elevated as strongly marked ridges 

 running to the centre and thickly set with short stout blunt spines. Genital 

 openings large and wide, reaching nearly to the roof of the disk. Color in 

 alcohol, pale pink. 



The above-described specimen was not fully grown. A large one, with a 

 disk of 13 mm. and arms 385 mm. long, differed only in having the spines 

 more or less obliterated on the radial shields, but much more numerous on 

 the tops of the arms. The arm-spines, also, were comparatively shorter and 

 stouter. 



Like Ophiocamax fasculata, Ophiomusium Lymani, and many other species, 

 Ophiocreas spinulosus lives in great colonies. The tangles often came so clogged 

 with hundreds of specimens that it was necessary to cut them off and throw 

 the mass into alcohol. Mr. Agassiz reports the color of the living animal as 

 brick red. A young specimen with a disk of 3 mm. had no spines on the 

 disk or arms. Spines begin to appear only when the disk has reached 4 or 

 5 mm. 



Station 208, Martinique, 213 fathoms. Station 216, St. Lucia, 154 fathoms. 

 Station 233, St Vincent, 174 fathoms. Station 269, St. Vincent, 124 fathoms. 

 Station 279, Barbados, 118 fathoms. Station 281, Barbados, 288 fathoms. 



Ophiocreas lumbricus Ltm. 



Station 131, Santa Cruz, 580 fathoms. Station 171, Guadeloupe, 183 fath- 

 oms. Station 216, St. Lucia, 154 fathoms. Station 219, St. Lucia, 151 fath- 



