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The deep-sea Ophiuroidea of the North Atlantic Ocean Gordon L. J. Paterson Department of Zoology, British Museum (Natural History), London SW7 5BD 5 Contents Synopsis 1 Introduction 1 Biology 2 Taxonomic keys 2 Abbreviations 5 Taxonomic section 6 Order Euryalae 6 Family Gorgonocephalidae 6 Family Asteronychidae 13 Family Asteroschematidae 16 Order Opftiurae 18 Family Ophiomyxidae 18 Family Ophiacanthidae 22 Sub-Family Ophiacanthinae 24 Sub-Family Ophiotominae 52 Sub-Family Ophioplinthacinae 61 Sub-Family Ophiohelinae 73 Family Ophiactidae 76 Family Amphiuridae 80 Family Ophiodermatidae 95 Family Ophiochitonidae 96 Family Ophiuridae 98 Sub-Family Ophioleucinae 98 Sub-Family Ophiurinae 102 Sub-Family Ophiolepidinae 145 Summary of Taxonomic Proposals and Changes 151 Acknowledgements 152 References 152 Index 160 Synopsis The North Atlantic deep-sea ophiuroid fauna, comprising of approximately 120 species, is revised for the first time. Proposals for the revision of the family Ophiacanthidae are made and four sub-families are erected. The present purely taxonomic treatment relies on a series of pictorial keys aimed at the non specialist. Introduction The recent interest in deep-sea biology has highlighted the need for a taxonomic reappraisal in many animal groups. In all but a few our taxonomic knowledge is based on expedition reports dating back often more than 50 years. Such reports are not comprehensive, and may be difficult to obtain, so that identifications require a large library. With the modern emphasis in deep-sea studies on ecology, population biology and biological processes generally, good taxonomic information is essential. Bull. Br. Mus. not. Hist. (Zool.) 49(1): 1-162 Issued 28 November 1985

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• http://biostor.org/reference/48
• 2273511

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The deep-sea Ophiuroidea of the North Atlantic Ocean

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