OPHIUROIDEA OF THE BAHAMA EXPEDITION. y Q 



teen large examples; station 33, off Sand Key, 105 fathoms, 

 four examples; station 62, off American shoal, 70 to 80 fath- 

 oms, four examples. 



This and the allied species cling to gorgonian corals, which 

 their long, slender arms imitate in form and color. 



Ophiocreas spinulosus Lyman. 



Ophiocreas spinulosus layman, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., X, p. 281, pi. 

 VIII, figs. 132-135, 1883; Three Cruises of the Blake, p. 109, fig. 389, 



1888. 



Station 28, off Sand Key, 116 fathoms, two large examples. 

 Taken by the Blake Exped., in 116 to 288 fathoms. 



Family, ASTROCHELID^, nov. 



Arms simple or with a few distal forks, granulated, and 

 also annulated with raised ridges. Disk with five or ten 

 radial ridges, its surface granulated or spinulose. 



Teeth and tooth-papillaee numerous, spiniform; the latter 

 form an apical cluster. Mouth-papillae similar in form, some- 

 times lacking. The teeth may form double vertical rows. 

 Under arm-plates rudimentary or lacking. Side arm-plates 

 cover most of the under surface, but are hidden by cuticle and 

 granules. They bear a short row of small rough spines or 

 tentacle-scales; above them are double vertical rows of small 

 plates,* forming raised ridges and bearing granules and also 

 rows of minute glassy hooks, on the sides and top of the 

 arms. 



These sometimes extend on to the radial ridges of the disk. 

 The genital openings are short, situated toward the margin 

 of the disk or not close to the inner angle. 



This family includes Astrochele, Astrogomfihus. Astroporpa 



*Mr. Lyman considered these the equivalent of the upper arm-plates, 

 but to me they appear to be a continuation of the side-plates. In this 

 case the upper plates would be represented, if present, by the rows of 

 small plates between the ridges. 



