OPHELIA. 21.0 



vermiform ; segments limited, with plain sutures not indented on 

 the sides, and divided into less defined rings ; the vent generally 

 encircled with papillae : head undefined, continuous with the body, 

 generally conical, with one or two papillae in front which serve for 

 antennae : eyes none ? : mouth ventral, transverse, with a very short 

 globose or cup-like emandibulate proboscis : branches of the feet in- 

 conspicuous, the bristles in one or two series, simple and setaceous : 

 branchiae cirriform, rarely compound, placed along the sides in a 

 single series towards the ventral aspect, usually absent on the ante- 

 rior or posterior segments, and sometimes found only on the anterior 

 ones. 



30. OPHELIA. 



Ophelia, Savign. Syst. Annel. 38. Aud. Sf M.-Edwards, Lift, de la 

 France, ii. 264. Blainville in Diet. cit. Ivii. 479. Fleming in En- 

 cyclop. Brit. edit. ?• xi. 221. M.-Edwards in Lam. Anim. s. Vert. 

 2de edit. v. 537- Grube, Fam. Annel. 70. 



Ophelina, Oersted, Annul. Dan. Consp. 45. Griffith's Ciiv. xiii. 24. 



Char. Head undefined, pointed, with a depression on each side : 

 bristles in one or two series, simple and setaceou.s : branchiae cirri- 

 form, viz. a series of fleshy, simple, setaceous filaments : ventral sur- 

 face flat, used as a foot, distinctly defined, muscular, equal in length 

 to the body. 



Obs. Savigny described the anterior for the anal extremity, and 

 the ventral for the dorsal surface. The same error was committed 

 by Audouin and Milne-Edwards. Sars was enabled to rectify the 

 mistake by his observations on living individuals. 



There is a slight resemblance in general form and appearance 

 between Ophelia and the genus Ainphioxus amongst fishes. 



1 . 0. acumiiiata, body fusiform ; snout tipped with a small globule ; 

 branchial cirri to all the segments ; anal extremity spoon-shaped, 

 with two small fusiform appendages in front of the vent. Length 2". 



Ophelina acuminata, Oersted, Annul. Dan. Consp. 46. 

 Ammotrypane aulogaster, Rathkein Nov. Act. Acad. Nat. Cur. xx. 188 



(1843), tab. 10. f. 1-3. 

 Ophelia aulogaster et Oph. acuminata, Grube, Fam. Annel. 70. 



Hab. The laminarian and coralline regions. 



Desc. Worm about 2 inches in length, rigid and fusiform, or 

 tapering towards each end, the back rounded, smooth and even, with 

 narrow segments divided by faintly marked lines, and of a uniform 

 pearly colour ; the ventral disk flattened, furrowed down the middle, 

 of a cream-yellow colour, and separated from the dorsum by a rounded 

 thickened line which runs along the sides, and along the upper rim 



