26 



BULLETIN 75, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



tance between two pairs. Arms rather stout, somewhat flattened. 

 Upper arm plates at first rounded hexagonal and somewhat wider 

 than long, but soon becoming tetragonal with distal side longer than 

 lateral and much longer than proximal, and finally triangular; in 

 contact with each other except at tip of arm. Interbrachial areas 

 covered with a fine granulation like that of disk. Oral shields longer 

 than broad, somewhat rounded pentagonal. Supplementary oral 

 shields often present, roundish; they may be partly or wholly con- 

 cealed by the granulation and they are often wanting in two or more 

 of the interradii; one specimen has none; the type has three large ones 

 (see fig. 26), one small one, and one minute one. Adoral plates small, 



at sides of oral shield, mostly 

 free from granulation. Oral 

 plates completely covered by 

 a somewhat coarser granula- 

 tion than that of disk. Oral 

 papillae numerous, eight to 

 ten on a side; distal ones trun- 

 cate, inner ones pointed, pe- 

 nultimate distinctly largest. 

 Genital slits rather large, as 

 long as three arm joints. No 

 pores between basal under 

 arm plates. First under arm 

 plate rather large, diamond- 

 shaped or somewhat pentag- 

 onal, much wider than long; 

 succeeding plates pentagonal, 

 hexagonal, or heptagonal, 

 with more or less rounded 

 corners, at first wider than 

 long and broadly in contact 

 with each other, but soon be- 

 coming longer than wide, and 

 ultimately very long, narrow, and distinctly separated. Side arm 

 plates rather large, but not meeting either below or above, except at 

 very tip of arm ; each one carries nine or ten short, little flattened, 

 bluntly-pointed arm spines, of which the lowest is a little the longest, 

 though it does not equal joint. Tentacle scales two, inner larger, outer 

 overlapping base of lowest arm spine. Color (dried from alcohol), light 

 brown or gray, variegated with lighter and darker shades and with 

 arms more or less distinctly banded with darker; oral surf ace, whitish. 

 Localities. — Albatross station 3764, off Suno Saki, Honshu Island, 

 Japan, 44 to 50 fathoms, fine gravel, broken shells, 2 specimens; 

 station 4893, Eastern Sea, lat. 32° 33' N. , long. 128° 32' 50" E., 95 to 

 106 fathoms, gray sand, broken shells, j^ebbles, bottom temperature 



Fig. 2.— Ophiarachnella megalaspis. X4. a, from 

 above; 6, FROM below; c, side view of three arm 



JOINTS NEAR DISK. 



