OPUTOTHKIX. 131 



Key to the Species. 



Sides of the interbrachial spaces spiny 1. O. fragilis. 



Sides of the interbrachial spaces bare 2. 0. luet'keni. 



1. Ophiothrix fragilis. 



Asterias fragilis, Abilg. apud O. F. Midler, Zool. Dan. Hi. (1789) 



p. 28, pi. xcviii. ; Retz. Diss. Spec. Ast. (1805) p. 30 : Nils*. Coll. 



Zool. Scan. (1817) p. 16. 

 Ophiura fragilis, Lamk. An. s. Vert. ii. (1816) p. 546. 

 Ophiothrix fragilis, M. Tr. Syst. Ast. (1842) p. 110, pi. ix. fig. 2; 



Gray, Brit. Rad. (1848) p. 26; Sars, Nyt May. x. (1859) p. 18; 



id. Norg. Ech. (1861) p. 12; Norm. Ann. $ May. xv. (1865) 



p. 107 ; Heller, Zooph. u. Ech. Adriat. (1868) p. 62 ; Liitk. 



Dansk. Vid. Selsk. Shrift, viii. (1870) p. 52; Lyman, Bull. M. 



C. Z. iii. (1874) p. 249 ; Liulw. Mitth. zool. Stat. Neap. i. (1879) 



p. 551 ; Cams, Prod Faun. Med. (1884) p. 95 ; Fjelstrup, Zool. 



Dan. Piyh. (1890) p. 25, pi. ii. fig. 5 ; Bell, Ann. & May. viii. 



(1891) p. 338. 

 Asterias pentaphylla, Penn. Brit. Zool. iv. (1777) p. 54; Turton, 



Brit. Faun. (1807) p. 141. 

 Ophiothrix pentaphvllum, Ljunyman, CEfv. Vet.-Ak. Forh. 1871, 



p. 622 ; Lyman, Bull. M. C. Z. iii. (1874) p. 249 ; id. Proc. Roy. 



Soc. Ed. xi. (1882) p. 707. 

 Ophiothrix ramrnelsbergii, M. Tr. Syst. Ast. (1842) p. 113, pi. viii. 



fig. 3. 

 Ophiocoma rosula, Forb. Brit. Star/. (1840) p. 60 ; Peach, Proc. 



R.Phys. Soc.Edinb. ii. (1859-62) p!63; Herdman, Proc. Roy.Phys. 



Soc. Ed. v. (1880) p. 200; Leslie $• Herdm. op. cit. vi. (1881) p. 89 ; 



Treyelles, Rep. $ Trans. Penzance Nat. Hist. Soc. 1887-88, 



p. 371. 

 Asterias varia, Penn. Brit. Zool. iv. (1777) p. 54. 

 Asterias radiata, id. ibid. 

 Asterias hastata, id. t. c. p. 55. 

 Asterias tissa, id. ibid. 

 Asterias nigra *, id. ibid. 



A species which exhibits the greatest variations in colour and 

 marking, and in the presence or absence of spines on the disk : of 

 moderate size. 



Arms very fragile, about eight to ten times as long as the radius 

 of the disk. The scales on the upper surface of the disk often 

 form projecting spinules, but may be almost completely hidden by 

 elongated, delicate spines. The triangular radial shields are of 

 large size and are bare except for a few spines which may be present 

 on the inner side of their base. Each is separated from its fellow 

 by a few laterally compressed scales on which are spinous granules 

 or short spines. 



The teeth-papilla? are exceedingly numerous and beneath the 

 clump are seven teeth. The arms are rather delicate ; the upper 



* Pennant's descriptions are not sufficient, but Borlase's figures, to which he 

 refers, easily enables us to recognize these forms ; all these five but radiata are 

 cited by Turton, Brit. Faun. (1807) p. 141. 



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