262 



BULLETIN 75, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



deep purple, the disk spines, and distal ends of radial shields (with 

 adjoining disk margin) nearly white in marked contrast. 



OPHIOTHRIX SPICULATA. 



Ophiothrix spiculata LeConte, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, vol. 5, 1851, 

 p. 318. 



Localities. — Albatross jtation 3329, Bering Sea, lat. 53° 56' 50" 

 N.; long. 167° 8' 15" W., 399 fathoms, fine black sand, bottom tem- 

 perature 37.7°, 12 specimens; West Coast of North America, 3 

 specimens. 



The specimens labeled "West Coast of North America" have 

 evidently been in alcohol a long time and have lost all coloi-, but 



Fig. 129.— Ophiothrix .spiculata. X 4.5. o, from above; h, from below; c, .side view of two arm 



JOINTS near di.sk. 



those labeled ''3329" show the characteristic blue and red coloring 

 of the species. The largest specimen in particular has the arms 

 bright purplish-blue with frequent narrow cross bands of reddish. 

 All the specimens agree in having the disk fully, and the radial shields 

 sparsely, covered with rough spinelets, which can scarcely be divided 

 into "stumps" and "spines," but differ from each other only in 

 length and thickness. This is the only difference between these 

 specimens, and typical examples from Pearl Islands, Panama. It is 

 hard to believe that there is not some mistake about the label, " 3329," 

 for it is most extraordinary that such a bright-colored, littoral, Pana- 

 mic form as spiculata should occur in deep water in Bering Sea. The 



