Ophiodermatidae, Ljungman, 1867

Stöhr, Sabine, Hugall, Andrew F., Thuy, Ben & Martynov, Alexander, 2018, Morphological diagnoses of higher taxa in Ophiuroidea (Echinodermata) in support of a new classification, European Journal of Taxonomy 416, pp. 1-35 : 14-15

Family Ophiodermatidae Ljungman, 1867

Type genus

Ophioderma Müller & Troschel, 1840 (type species: O. longicauda ( Bruzelius, 1805)) .

Other genera

Bathypectinura H.L. Clark, 1909b , Cryptopelta H.L. Clark, 1909b , Diopederma H.L. Clark, 1913 , Ophiarachnella Ljungman, 1872 , Ophiochasma Grube, 1868 , Ophiocormus H.L. Clark, 1915a , Ophiocryptus H.L. Clark, 1915b , Ophiocypris Koehler, 1930 , Ophiomidas Koehler, 1904 , Ophiopsammus Lütken, 1869 .

Diagnosis

Dorsal disc covered with granules. Dental plate fragmented, with finely meshed stereom, tooth sockets as broadly oval, not penetrating depressions with swollen borders, small tooth cluster on ventral end. Lateral arm plate with two proximal spurs, visible on external and internal surface.Arm spine articulation with weak sigmoidal fold, sunken in notches of distal plate edge.

Remarks

Ophiarachnella is polyphyletic and requires revision. The type species O. gorgonia Müller & Troschel, 1842 , however, is a confirmed ophiodermatid ( O’Hara et al. 2017).