Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology (Volume 10) (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1883 Excerpt: ... No. 6.--Reports on the Results of Dredging, under the Supervision of Alexander Agassiz, in the Caribbean Sea in 1878-79, and along the Atlantic Coast of the United States during t/ie Summer of 1880, by the U. S. Coast Survey Steamer "Blake," Commander J. K. Bartlett, U. S. N., Commanding. (Published by permission of Carlile P. Patterson and J. E. Hilgard, Superintendents of the U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey.) XX. Report on the Ophiuroidea. By Theodore Lyman. The West Indies are the hotbed of Echinodermata. Out of less than six hundred living species of Ophiuroidea now known, about one hundred and fifty-five, or more than a quarter, are from that region; and for the round Echinoderms the proportion is even larger. Beginning at low-water mark, this fauna descends to 1,568 fathoms; and, having its centre in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, it sends branches northward at least as far as South Carolina, and southward to Brazil. In the present state of knowledge, it seems a well-marked fauna, containing a great number of distinctive forms, although there occasionally occur species from other marine regions, such as Ophioscolex glacialis and Astronyx Loveni. This appearance of limitation may come in part from the special investigations in this area; for it is to be borne in mind that the U. S. ships " Corwin," "Bibb," - Hassler," and "Blake" haVe dredged in about 570 stations, chiefly along the line of the Antilles, and from the Dry Tortugas to Cape Florida. In addition to these, some hauls were made by Dr. William Stimpson, and by the naturalists of the "Challenger." Nearly all known genera of Ophiuroidea are there found, the most notable exceptions being Ophioplocus, Ophioplinthus, Ophiopholis, Ophiarachna, Ophiarthrum, Ophiomastix, and Trichaste...