68 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 295 



Affinities. — Reported species of Bairdoppilata range from Lower 

 Cretaceous through Recent; the type species is Miocene. While no 

 effort was made to study fossil materials for this report, such illus- 

 trations and specimens as have come to my casual attention (chiefly 

 Eocene-Miocene) appear to be compatible in carapace morphology 

 with the Recent species described below. 



The bairdoppilatan nature of the soft parts of Bairda coronata Brady 

 is unmistakable, in spite of its superficial resemblance to Triebelina. 

 Hence Glyptohairdia must be revived for a subgenus of Bairdoppilata. 



Yet another subgenus of Bairdoppilata is indicated by the three 

 abyssal and/or cold-water species of Brady (1880) reidentified in 

 these collections, but naming of this category must be postponed until 

 better preserved material is available for description. And for any 

 more detailed subgeneric classification, the great variety of Cretaceous 

 and Cenozoic species should also be taken into consideration. 



Remarks. — E. and R. Reyment (1959) suggested that Bairdop- 

 pilata should be considered a synonym of "Bairdia" because they 

 observed the hinge denticles to vary in visibility within one species, 

 and because similar denticles are also present in Bairdia coronata 

 Brady, assigned at that time to Triebelina. This opinion has been 

 sustained independently by some other taxonomists, including van 

 Morkhoven (1958, 1963). However, the Recent species studied here 

 show significant and consistent differences in soft-part anatomy, 

 shape, and opaque pattern that are congruent with and perhaps even 

 more consistently expressed than the hinge dentition. 



Bairdoppilata (Bairdoppilata) cushmani (Tressler), 1949 



Figures 34; 35h-m 



Nesidea cushmani Tressler, 1949, p. 342 figs. 4-8. 



Bairdoppilata carinata Kornicker, 1961, p. 66, pi. 1: fig. 5a-e; figs. 9^-J, 10b-c, e. 

 Bairdoppilata triangulala Edwards of Benson and Coleman, 1963, p. 20, pi. 3: 

 figs. 1-3; fig. 9. 



Material. — Holotype female specimen USNM 88843. The decal- 

 cified valves and fragmentary appendages are mounted together 

 on a single glass slide beneath a cover slip. 



Paratype specimen 122B of Bairdoppilata carinata Kornicker 

 (1961, fig. lOC). Subfossil specimens from the Bimini collections of 

 Kornicker (1961), including a male and a female containing dried 

 appendages. 



Subfossil specimens from the west coast of Florida collections of 

 Benson and Coleman, including specimen USNM 113187, labeled 

 Bairdoppilata triangulata Edwards, 1944. Subfossil specimens in an 

 associated collection from Florida Bay, including an adult male 

 with dry appendages. 



