Morphological diagnoses of higher taxa in Ophiuroidea (Echinodermata) in support of a new classification Author Stöhr, Sabine Author Hugall, Andrew F. Author Thuy, Ben Author Martynov, Alexander text European Journal of Taxonomy 2018 2018-03-21 416 1 35 journal article 22339 10.5852/ejt.2018.416 2eebb037-4ab1-433c-a9f6-8fe319e9fda9 3806109 AD094812-5768-43E9-BCC2-9226E69F0820 Family Ophiobyrsidae Matsumoto, 1915 stat. nov. (raised to family-rank) Type genus Ophiobyrsa Lyman, 1878a ( type species: O. rudis Lyman, 1878a ). Other genera Ophiobyrsella Verrill, 1899b , Ophiosmilax Matsumoto, 1915 , Ophiophrixus H.L. Clark, 1911 . Diagnosis Disc and arms covered by thickened skin bearing pointed spines, large radial shields. Vertebrae with hourglass-shaped articulation. Multiple columns of spiniform teeth on round, knob-like sockets, not perforating the dental plate. Ventral tooth cluster. Spine articulation asymmetrical with large, swollen dorsal lobe and small,indistinct ventral lobe. No sigmoidal fold. Lateral arm plates without ornamentation. Remarks New molecular data indicates that the genera Ophiobyrsa , Ophiophrixus and Ophiosmilax form a clade that is sister to all remaining ophiacanthid families. Consequently, the former subfamily Ophiobyrsinae Matsumoto, 1915 is raised to family-level rank.