Ophiopetra lithographica Enay & Hess 1962

Taxonomy

Brittlestar

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Echinodermata Klein 1754
Class: Ophiuroidea Gray 1840
Order: Ophiurida
Family: Aplocomidae Hess 1965
Genus: Ophiopetra
Species: Ophiopetra lithographica
Author Citation Enay & Hess 1962

Geological Time Scale

Eon: Phanerozoic
Era: Mesozoic
Period: Jurassic
Sub Period: None
Epoch: Late
International Age: Tithonian

Stratigraphy

Weissjura Group
Painten Formation

Biostratigraphy

Hybonoticeras hybonotum Zone
Subplanites rueppelianus Subzone

Provenance

Collector: T. Bastelberger
Date Collected: 07/01/1998
Acquired by: Field Collection

Dimensions

Diameter: 3 cm

Location

Hienheim (City district)
Neustadt a. d. Donau (Town)
Bavaria
Germany

• bavaria
• hienheim
• jurassic
• ophiopetra lithographica
• painten formation
• tff-oilshale-ec1744
• tithonian

Comments

Taxonomy from Mindat.org.

Diagnosis from Enay and Hess 1962, p. 662 (translated from french by oilshale): "Small species. Disc granulated on both sides (radial shields included), the granules hiding small imbricate plates. Radial shields and plates articulated by means of two condyles and a facet carried by both the radial shield and the corresponding plate. Radial shields of moderate width, those of the same radius not touching. Ambulacral parts of oral plates or jaws (= oral frames of Matsumoto) without wings. Double peristomal plates. About 6 contiguous oral papillae on each side. Probably no dental papillae. Teeth obtuse, not very strong. Adoral plates in contact proximal to the buccal shield. Brachial spines 3, erect, a little longer than the article. Ventral brachial plates pentagonal, longer than wide, contiguous on half of the arm only. Dorsal brachial plates triangular with a very convex distal margin. Tentacular pores on almost the entire length of the arms, two tentacular scales per pore. Vertebrae with zygospondyle articulation."

Kutscher and Röper 1965 note that “Ophiopetra lithographica differs from Sinosura kelheimense, which occurs simultaneously with it, already by the protruding, distinct spines, the non-keeled dorsal shields, the distinct spiny warts and the sickle-shaped bursal spines.” (translated from german by oilshale).

References:
Enay, R.; Hess, H. (1962) Sur la découverte d'Ophiures (Ophiopetra lithographica ng.nsp.) dans le Jurrassique supérieur du Haut-Valrmomey (Jura méridional). Eclogae geologicae Helvetiae. 55(2), 657-673, pl. I-II.
Kutscher, M.; Röper, M. (1965) Die Ophiuren des Papierschiefers von Hienheim (Malm zeta 3, Untertithon). Archaeopteryx, 13: 85-99.