53 
OPHIU RA. 
Opuiura, Lamarck, Duméril. 
Astertas, Linné, &c. 
CHARACTER GENERICUS. 
Corpus valde depressum rotundatum radiis quinque distan- 
tibus integris, squamosis, lateribus spinosissimis, spinzs 
mobilibus, in lineas transversas digestis. 
Os inferius, simplex, pentagonum. 
OPHIURE. 
GENERIC CHARACTER. 
Body much depressed, rounded, with five distant, entire, 
squamous rays, with very spinous sides ; spines move- 
able. 
Mouth simple, five-sided, placed beneath. 
The species of this genus are distinguished by the sculp- 
ture of their disc, by their spines, and by the form of the 
scales. They are preserved with difficulty, owing to their 
breaking to pieces by the violence of their contractions 
when taken from the ocean. | 
The following species lave been examined, but I cannot 
venture to aifix any synonyms. 
Sp. 1. OPHIURA LINCKII. 
TAB. LXXIX. FIG. IV. V. 
O. corpore granulato inter radias bilobato ; radiis, squamis 
transversis ovatis subgranulatis ; spinis simplicibus elon- 
gato-subconicis obtusis, superioribus crassis apice acumi- 
natis. 
Habitat ———. 
Mus. Brit. 
