Ophiosphalma laqueatum Lyman 1878

Ophiosphalma laqueatum (Lyman, 1878).

Figures 54 a, b

Ophiomusium laqueatum Lyman, 1878; Matsumoto, 1917.

Holotype, BMNH 82.12.23.417, Challenger station 192, between Teniber and Aru Ids, Arafura Sea, 236 m; MCZ 3085.

Main features: Disc 14 mm diameter, covered with small imbricating scales, large, smooth radial shields dominant, and separated by many scales. Diamond-shaped dorsal arm plates large and throughout arm. Lateral plates with 4 arm spines, 3 clumped together low down, and one smaller spine isolated dorsally. Small supplementary lateral arm plates present.

Small oral shield, ventral interradial area with about 10 large rounded plates. Oral papillae block-like and only fused distally. Genital slits reach from adoral plates to disc edge and are noticeably wider at their distal end. Three pairs of exposed tentacle pores, the first two larger than the third. Each with an oval scale.