NORTH PACIFIC OPHIUKANS IN NATIONAL MUSEUM — CLARK. 



117 



OPHIOPHOLIS MIRABILIS. 



Ophiolepis mirabiUs Duncan, Jour. Linn. Soc London, Zool., vol. 14, 1879, p. 460. 

 Ophiopholis mirabilis Lyman, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., vol. 6, 1879, p. 43. 



Localities. — Albatross station 3656, Hakodate Bay, 11-5 fathoms, 

 green mud, sand, 7 specimens; station 3657, Hakodate Bay, 13.5 

 fathoms, fine gray sand, 12 specimens; station 3658, Hakodate Bay, 

 22 fathoms, fine gray sand, 4 specimens; station 3659, Hakodate 

 Bay, 15.5 fatlioms, fine gray sand, 14 specimens; station 3771, off 

 Doumiki Saki, Japan, 61 fathoms, green mud, sand, 3 specimens; 

 station 3773, off Kinkwasan Light, Japan, 78 fathoms, black sand, 

 4 specimens; station 4832, off Ando Zaki, Japan, Lat. 36° 14' 30" N.; 

 long. 135° 56' 30" E., 76 to 79 fathoms, dark gray sand, bottom tem- 

 perature 53.2°, 1 specimen; station 5095, Uraga Strait, Japan, lat. 

 35° 5' 34" N.; long. 139° 38' 36" E., 58 

 fathoms, fine black sand, broken shells, 

 bottom temperature 57.8°, 2 specimens. 

 Bathymetrical range, 11.5 to 79 fatlioms. 

 Temperature range, dcnvn to 53.2°. Forty- 

 seven specimens. 



These specimens range in disk diameter 

 from 4 to 16 mm. and make up an excel- 

 lent series of this interesting species, the 

 most easily recognized of any in the genus. 

 Duncan's types were only 7 or 8 mm. across 

 the disk (Lyman's estimate of 4 mm. seems 

 to me too low), but specimens of that size 

 show the generic and specific characters 

 clearly and it is quite incomprehensible to 

 me why Duncan should have considered 

 his specimens as Oj^Molepis or in any way connecting links with that 

 genus. Apparently tnirahilis is confined to rather warm, shallow 

 water on the northern coasts of Japan and does not extend south of 

 Sagami Ba}^ or north of the Hokkaido. 



OPHIOPHOLIS BRACHYACTIS, new species.a 



Disk 11 mm. in diameter; arms about 55 mm. long. Disk covered 

 by large radial shields and small circular or oval plates, surrounding 

 which are more or less numerous rouniled or angular granules; these 

 granules are largest at the interradial margins and in some specimens 

 become there thick, tubercle-like spines with rough tips. Radial 

 shields always conspicuous, much longer than broad. Arms rather 

 broad and stout at base, with very attenuate tips; they measure 

 three to five times the diameter of the disk, but as the attenuate tip is 



a Bpaxk, signifying short, and oKzic, signifying ray, in reference to the seemingly 

 short, stout arms. 



Fig. 43.— Ophiopholis mirabilis. 

 x 3.5. base of one arm and ad- 

 JOINING PORTION OF disk; FROM 

 ABOVE. 



