38 



JAMES A. GRIEG 



(REP. OF THE "MICHAEL SARS" NORTH 



Ophiacantha aristata Koehler. 

 Ophiacantha aristata Koehler, Res. Sci. Camp. "Caudan" dans le 

 Golie de Gascogne, Fasc. 1, 1896, p. 84, tab. 4, figs. 43 & 44. 



23 /.5, stat. 41, 28° 8' N. 13° 35' W., 1365 m., yellow mud, temp. 6° 

 Cel. One specimen. Disc-diameter 4.5 mm. Colour pink. 



The type specimen was obtained by the "Caudan" 

 in the Bay of Biscay, 1700 m. It was besides found 

 by the "Talisman" between 22 : 57' and 45' 59' N. and 

 between 6° 29' and 31° 46' W., 822—1635 m., by the Prince 

 of Monaco between 27° 57' 40" and 42°30'N. and be- 

 tween 9° 37' 45" and 30° 28' 54" W., 1095— 1743 m., as 

 well as by the "Helga" off the west coast of Ireland 

 (50° 42' — 51° 37' N. 11° 18'— 11° 56' W., 1116— 1332 m.) 

 Ophiacantha aristata is therefore an east Atlantic speci- 

 es, ranging from 22" 57' to 51° 37' N. Bathymetrical 

 distribution 822—1743 m. 



Ophiacantha crassidens Verrill. 

 Ophiacantha crassidens Verrill, Amer. Journ., ser. 3, vol. 29, 1885, 



p. 152. 



18 / 7 , stat. 88, 45° 26' N. 25° 45' W., 3120 m., sand and dark yellow 

 mud, temp. 2.5° Cel. One specimen (disc-diameter 11.5 mm.) which 

 agrees well with the descriptions that Verrill, Koehler and Farran give 

 of this species. 



Ophiacantha crassidens is a North Atlantic species 

 which was first taken by the "Albatross" off Cape Hat- 

 teras, 1543 m. It ranges on the European side from 

 38° 45' 30" to 51° 50' 30" N., 986— 3120 m. It was ob- 

 tained by the Prince of Monaco off the Azores, 1095— 

 1360 m., and by the "Helga" off the west coast of Ire- 

 land, 986—1801 m. 



Ophioscolex glacial is Miiller & Troschel. 

 Ophioscolex glacialis Miiller & Troschel, System der Asteriden, 1842, 

 p. 109, tab. 10. figs. 1 & 2. 



9/s— 10 /8, stat. 102, 60° 57' N. 4° 38' W , 1098 m., dark sand and 

 clay, temp. -=- 0.9° Cel. 8 specimens. 



Astronyx locardi Koehler. 

 Astronyx locardi Koehler, Res. Sci. Camp. "Caudan" dans le Golfe 

 de Gascogne, Fasc. 1, 1896, p. 88, tab. 3, fig. 25. 



27 / 7 , stat. 95, 50°22'N. 11°44'W., 1797 m., temp. 3.5° Cel. One 

 specimen. Disc-diameter 24.5 mm. All of the arms were defective, 

 the best-preserved one measured 145 mm. The specimen is but a 

 very little larger than the type-specimens with which it agrees in 

 all the characteristics. 



Astronyx locardi was previously known only from 

 the Bay of Biscay, where it was collected by the "Cau- 

 dan" as well as the "Travailleur". According to the explo- 

 rations of the "Michael Sars" its horizontal range will 

 be from 44° 7 to 50° 22' N. and from 7° to 11°44'W. 

 The bathymetrical distribution is 411— 2030 m. 



Astrochele lymani Verrill. 

 Astrochele lymani Verrill, Amer. Journ. ser. 3, vol. 6, 1878, p. 374. 



3 % stat. 70, 42 J 59' N. 51 c 15 W., 1100 m., temp. 3.7 Cel. Two 

 very young specimens, clinging to Acanella arbuscula Johnst. s. 

 normani Verr. Disc-diameter 4 mm. and 5 mm. respectively the 

 specimens are thus a little smaller than Verrill's type-specimen, whose 

 disc-diameter was 7 mm. 



Astrochele lymani is known only from the east coast 

 of North America, 483 — 2933 m., where it is found in 

 great numbers on Acanella arbuscula Johnst. 



ECHINOIDEA. 



Cidaris affinis Philippi. 

 Cidaris affinis Philippi. Wiegmanns Archiv fur Naturgesch. Jahrg. 

 11, Bd. 1, 1845, p. 351. 



2 i/.3 stat. 39 B, 26 c 3' N„ 15° W., 267—280 m., fine grey sand. Com- 

 mon. The smallest specimen had a test-diameter of 17 mm., the largest 

 39 mm., which seems to be the maximum size of the species. The 

 colour of most of the smaller specimens was plain pink, but in some 

 of them dark violet bands incircled the ambulacral areas and a violet 

 band also sometimes surrounded the mouth and apical areas. The 

 larger specimens were violet or brownish with primary spines plain 

 red and with secondary violet with red points. 



Cidaris -affinis is known from the Mediterranean, 

 the west coast of Africa and Europe and the West Indies. 

 It is not possible at the present time, however, to state 

 definitely its distribution, as it has been confused with 

 Dorocidaris papillata. The bathymetrical distribution is 

 37—889 m. 



I have already shown (p. 34) that the great mass of 

 ophiurids occurring in a locality at the depths of the 

 North Atlantic belong to the same year-class. But several 

 year-classes may be represented in the same locality, 

 only one of them numerously, however. The same is 

 true of the echinoids as the following table will show. 

 At stat. 39 B 121 specimens of Cidaris affinis were taken, 

 with a diameter of 17 — 39 mm. The majority of these 

 measure 17 — 28 mm. with a maximum of 51 individuals 

 at 22 — 23 mm. There is besides a small group of 9 

 individuals which measure 34 — 39 mm. These must 

 belong to a year-class different from the large group, 

 which has its maximum at 22—23 mm. 



At stat. 88 227 specimens of Echinus alexandri were 

 obtained, test-diameter 25 — 46 mm. 126 specimens or 

 86.34 per cent measured 33 — 40 mm., and these afforded 

 a maximum of 102 individuals or 40.52 per cent of the 

 total number at 35 — 37 mm. This large group must 

 represent a year-class and the few larger and smaller 

 individuals must be representatives of other year-classes. 



