Ophiophycis richardi Mcknight, 2003, n.sp.

• Main Author: Mcknight, Donald G.
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2003
• Subjects: Biodiversity; Taxonomy; Animalia; Echinodermata; Ophiuroidea; Ophiurida; Ophiuridae; Ophiophycis; Ophiophycis richardi; Auckland Islands
• Online Access: https://zenodo.org/record/6276729; https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6276729

Ophiophycis richardi n.sp. Fig. 4: A, B, E. Material examined: NIWA Stn D 39 (8). Depth Distribution: 549 m. Geographic Distribution: This species is recorded from southwest of the Auckland Islands. Description: Holotype: disc diameter 4 mm, arms broken, longest at about 3 mm. Marginal fringe distinct. Disc pentagonal, domed on dorsal surface, ventral surface flat. Dorsal surface of disc covered by 16 plates; centrodorsal pentagonal, sides radial, surrounded by 5 pentagonal radial plates, which it slightly overlaps; outer angle of radial plate separates inner end of radial shields; one margin of a radial shield usually overlaps that of a neighbour. Radial shields longer than wide, blunt proximally and distally, in contact for over 1 / 2 of length, separated by flat first dorsal armplate; one shield sometimes overlapping its neighbour. In dorsal interradii, 2 plates extend to margin; inner is elongate, much longer than wide, rectangular; marginal plate is more or less ovoid; outer margin usually with a flat, bluntly pointed spine. Ventral surface of disc with 2 narrow plates distal to oral shield, these extending to near margin but not reaching it; beyond is spine of marginal dorsal interradial plate. Oral plates small, more or less pentagonal, pointed proximally. Adoral plates larger, meeting broadly within, more or less proximal to oral shield. Oral plates with low, fused papillae along oral slit, sometimes the proximal part with 1–2 low 'bumps'; a single small, pointed papilla at jaw apex, teeth concealed. Arms wider than high at base, distinctly flattened. Dorsal armplates present to end of broken arm; first 2 dorsal armplates contiguous, first separates distal ends of radial shields, together the 2 plates form a triangle, pointed proximally, wider than long; succeeding plates widely separated, small and triangular, wider than long, much smaller, minute at end of broken arm. First lateral armplate confined to ventral surface, others visible dorsally, second is small in dorsal view, lying lateral to radial ...