OPHIURANS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 7 



OPHIODERMA RUBICUNDA Ltitken. 



See for bibliography: 



Verrill (96), p. 6. 

 H. L. Clark (01), p. 242. 

 Koehler (07), p. 282. 

 Koehler (13), p. 354. 



Nassau. One specimen (No. 14646). 



OPHIODERMA VARIEGATA Ltltken. 



Ophioderma variegata LUTKEN (59), p. 97. 



Ophioderma variegata LJUNOMAN (66), p. 304. 



OpMura variegata VEERILL (67), p. 254. 



Ophiura variegata LYMAN (75), p. 3. 



Ophiura variegata LYMAN (82), p. 10. 



Ophioderma variegata LUTKEN and MORTENSEN (99), p. 100. 



Ophioderma variegata KCEHLER (07), p. 282. 



Albatross station 2824. Apr. 30, 1888. Gulf of California. Lat. 24 22' 

 30" N.;long. 110 19' 30" W.;8 fathoms ; brk. sh. Ten specimens. . 



The diameter of the disk ranges between 5 and 8 mm. ; the length of the arms 

 reaches 25 mm. 



Most of the specimens have preserved bright colors. The upper face of the 

 disk is pink or even red, washed with green in the interradial spaces near the margin 

 of the disk; the under face is greenish. The arms are annulated with green and 

 red. These colors are even brighter than is generally indicated. 



By their general structure, these specimens are most closely allied with 

 0. brevispina from the Atlantic, from which they differ above all by their colora- 

 tion. The brachial spines, generally amounting to seven, are short. 0. variegata 

 is likely to be one day definitely classified with 0. brevispina, as some writers have 

 already suggested. 



OPHIODERMA CLYPEATA, new species. 

 Plate 18, figa. 2 and 6. 



BlaTce station 241. Feb. 24, 1879. Off Grenadines; 163 fathoms; s., co.; 

 temp. 53 F. One specimen. 



Type. Cat. No. 6514, U.S.N.M. 



This Ophiura was labeled Ophioderma elapsl It was mentioned under the 

 same name, followed as well by a note of interrogation, by Lyman in 1883 (83, 

 p. 230), with other individuals coming from two other stations (depths 300 and 120 

 fathoms), and which I have not seen. 



Lyman says only that these specimens differ from Liitken's type in having 

 from six to seven brachial spines instead of from seven to eight. In fact, the differ- 

 ences are actually more important, and I have been able to appreciate them by 

 comparing the specimen which belongs to the United States National Museum with 

 one of Liitken's types, which my friend Doctor Mortensen has kindly lent me 

 It seems to me impossible that this specimen should be united with O. elaps, and, 

 in my opinion, it ought to constitute a new species for which I propose the name 

 of Ophioderma dypeata. 



6061 Bull. 8414 2 



