7mm 



342 A. E. Verrill — Worth American Ophiuroidea. 



approximate dorsally, but not so closely as in some other species. 

 Upper arm-plates nearly as figured, transverse lozenge-shape, with 

 the distal edge convexly curved at first, but becoming prominent 

 and angulated farther out. 



The whole upper surface of the disk, including the radial shields, 

 is thickly covered with small, short, thorny spinules or stumps, ter- 

 minated by three to five or more short, sharp points. Diameter of 

 disk of largest specimen, 14™"^; of smallest, 1' 



Oif Barbadoes, 200 fathoms, Blake Exped. 



Ophiacantha (Ophiectodia) pectinula, sp. nov. 



Disk-scales small, entirely hidden by cuticle and bearing crowded, 

 very slendei', elongated spinules, thorny on the sides and at the tip. 

 Radial shields small, near together, entirely hidden by cuticle and 

 spinules. 



Two to four clustered tooth-papillse. Oral papillae numerous, 

 nearly equnl, compressed, spiniform, smaller than the tooth-papillae ; 

 four or five form a regular lateral row ; five or six more distal ones 

 form a cluster or two rows, and serve as oral tentacle-scales. Oral 

 shield broadly pelecoidal, wider than long, with a slightly convex 

 distal lobe. Adoral shields about as large as the oral, oblong-lunate, 

 meeting within. 



Tentacle-scales long, acute, si)iniform, thorny, two at the basal 

 pores. Arm-spines long, very slender, thorny, very acute ; some of 

 the rows nearly approximate dorsally at base of arms, where there 

 are nine or ten in a row. Dorsal arm-plates small, quadrant-shape, 

 the sides nearly straight, the outer end convex with a marginal row 

 of minute, sharp denticles. Under arm-plates small, widely separated; 

 the inner end forms an obtuse angle ; the outer end is convex, prom- 

 inent, side arm-plates prominent, meeting above and below. 



Diameter of disk, 8™'" ; length of arms, broken at tips, about 



West Indies, Blake Exped., 1883. 



This was sent to me by Mr. Lyman as 0. echinulata, with which 

 it does not agree. The type of the latter has broad naked radial 

 shields, in close contact, and the oral papillae are much fewer and 

 are figured as forming a simple row. The spines and tentacle-scales 

 are similar, though the basal rows of spines ajDproximate more 

 closely dorsally. 



