ATLANT. DEEP-SEA EXPED. 1910. VOL III.] 



ECHINODERM ATA 



37 



side. The bathymetrical distribution is 118 — 1853 m. 

 As already pointed out in "Michael Sars Ophiuroidea" 

 (p. 30) Ophiactis abyssicola is a true warm water species. 

 It may, however, occasionally occur in the cold area, and 

 was obtained there by the "Porcupine" (2 stations), the 

 "Voeringen" (4), the "Knight Errant" and the "Triton" 

 (one station each) and the "Michael Sars" in 1902 (2 

 stations). 



Amphiura chiajei Forbes. 

 Ampliiura chiajei Forbes, Transact. Linn. Soc, vol. 19, 1843, p. 151, 

 tab. 14, figs. 14—18. 

 5 /s stat. 21. 35°31'N. 6° 35' W., 535 m., yellow sand, temp. 

 11.52° Cel. Several specimens. 



This is an east Atlantic species, ranging northward 

 to the Trondhjemsfjord, south to the Mediterranean, the 

 west coast of the North Africa and the Azores. Its bathy- 

 metrical range 10 — 1015 m., with main distribution at 

 depths less than 200 m. 



Amphiura duplicata Lyman. 

 Amphiura duplicata Lyman, III. Cat. Mus. Comp. Zool., no. 8, part 2, 

 1875, p. 19, tab. 5, fig. 78. 

 5 /; stat. 21, 35 31'N. 6" 35' W, 535 m., yellow sand, temp. 11.52* 

 Cel. Four rather defective specimens. Judging from the figures, 

 whicli Lyman gives of this species, the specimens under discussion 

 agree as regards the form of radial shields, mouth-shields tnd arm- 

 plates more closely with those in the report on the "Challenger 

 Ophiuoroidea" (pi. 17., figs. 10—12). 



Amphiura duplicata was first taken by the Hassler 

 expedition off Barbados, 183 m. It was later obtained 

 by the "Blake" at numerous stations in the West Indies, 

 134—2869 m. The Challenger found it off the Bermudas, 

 1967 m., the "Caudan" in the Bay of Biscay, 1710 m., 

 and the Prince of Monaco off Azores, 1350—1800 m. 



Ophiolebes claviger Ljungman. 

 Ophiactis claviger Ljungman, Ofvs. Kgl. Vetensk. Akad. Forhandl. 

 vol. 21, 1864, p. 365, tab. 15, fig. 4. 

 3 % stat. 70, 42°59'N. 51°15'W., 1100 m., temp. 3.7 Cel. One 

 specimen clinging to Acanella arbuscula Jolinst.s. normani Verr. 

 Disc-diameter 5 mm. 



Ophiolebes claviger occurs sparingly along the west 

 coast of Norway to Groto, where Danielssen obtained one 

 specimen. Mortensen records it from the Skagerack and 

 the west coast of Greenland, and Farran from the west 

 coast of Ireland. I have been able to examine a speci- 

 men from the east coast of North America ("Blake" stat. 

 306, 41° 32' 50" N. 65°55'W, 959 m.) which the Bergen 

 Museum received from Agassiz. To this species belongs 

 undoubtedly the ophiurid from Nova Scotia, 167—223 m., 



which Verrill describes in "Res. Expl. made by the steamer 

 Albatross 1883" (p. 548) under the name Ophiolebes 

 acanella?. If we compare this description with typical 

 specimens of Ophiolebes claviger from the Norwegian 

 coast, we shall find in this the same characteristics as in 

 Ophiolebes acanella. It should be noted, however, that 

 Verrill does not give any illustration of his species and 

 that the description is very brief. It is therefore difficult 

 to identify the species definitely. 



Ophiolebes claviger should therefore range from 41° 

 32' 50" to 64° 53' N. on the west side of the Atlantic 

 and from 50° 42' to 67° 50' W. on the east side. Its 

 bathymetrical distribution is 167 — 1232 m. 



Ophiacantha abyssicola G. O. Sars. 



Ophiacantha abyssicola, G. O. Sars, Christiania Vidensk. Selsk. 

 Forhandl. 1871, p. 8. 



s le, stat. 24, 35° 34' N. 7° 35' W., 1615 m., yellow mud, temp. 8° 

 Cel. 7 specimens. 



7s, stat. 25 A, 35° 36' N. 8° 25' W., 2300 m., yellow mud. One 

 specimen. 



Vs, stat. 25 B, 35° 46' N. 8° 16' W., 2055 m„ yellow mud. Three 

 specimens. 



3 %, stat. 70, 42° 59' N. 51° 15' W., 1 100 m. temp, 3.7° Cel. One 

 specimen. 



6 /s— 7s, stat. 101, 57°41'N. 11°48'W., 1853 m., hard clay, temp. 

 3.3° Cel. Rather common. 



Koehler records this species as occurring throughout 

 the Arctic waters of Europe and Asia 1 ). But this state- 

 ment must be based on a confusion with Ophiacantha 

 bidentata, for Ophiacantha abyssicola is not known north 

 of the Lofoten on the Norwegian coast. It was, however, 

 taken by the "Voeringen" in two localities between Nor- 

 way and Beeren Eiland (stat. 286, 72° 57' N. 21° 51' E., 

 408 m.) It is absent from the coasts of Finmarken and 

 Murman and thence eastward. But it occurs along the 

 west coast of Europe as far south as the Azores. It is 

 further found off the east and west coasts of Greenland 

 as well as of the east coast of North America, from which 

 Verrill has described it under the name Ophiacantha mille- 

 spina. Ophiacantha abyssicola is thus a North Atlantic 

 species, ranging from 35° 34' to 72° 54' N. on the Euro- 

 pean side, and from the Bahamas (about 25°) to 63° 17' N. 

 (64° 42' N.) on the American side. The bathymetrical 

 distribution is 35 — 3508 m. It is a true warm-water species, 

 which was, however, taken three times ("Voeringen", 

 stat. 286, "Porcupine" 1869, stat. 54 and stat. 65) in the 

 cold area. These cold water localities are situated very 

 close to the warm area, however. 



') Koehler: Echinodermes, Res. Camp. Sci. Monaco, Fasc. 34, 

 1909, p. 182. 



