En dehors des PORTUNIDAE, étudiés séparément, plus de 155 espèces de Brachyoures récoltées aux Philippines par l'expédition MUSORSTOM ont été l'objet d'une identification préliminaire. Des espèces rares, uniquement signalées de l'Océan Indien ou des eaux japonaises, sont mêlées à d'autres connues des Philippines seulement. Plusieurs espèces n'avaient pas été retrouvées depuis leur description originale. Trois formes de XANTHIDAE sont nouvelles : PARAMEDAEUS PLANIFRONS GLOBUSUS ssp. nov., CROSNIERIUS CARINATUS gen. nov., sp. nov., NEOXANTHIAS MICHELAE sp. nov. Parmi les espèces non identifiées certaines sont aussi probablement nouvelles ; c'est le cas notamment d'une espèce de PISIDAE et d'une espèce de RETROPLUMIDAE, lesquels sont particulièrement bien représentés dans la collection (quatre espèces)

MUSORSTOM 1

T w e n t y species of the family of Ophiuridae, belonging to twelve different genera, were collected along the submarine slopes of the Reunion Island, between 2 0 and more 4 0 0 0 m depths. A m o n g t h e m , Ophiophyllum borbonica is n e w f o r S c i e n c e ; Ophiomastus platydiscus H . L . Clark a n d Uriopha ios P a t e r s o n , r e s p e c t i v e l y k n o w n f r o m Z a n z i b a r area a n d Cape V e r d e Islands, are r e f o u n d for t h e first t i m e since their o r i g i n a l d i a g n o s i s . T h e g e n u s Ophiophyllum, p r e v i o u s l y belonging to the subfamily Ophiolepidinae, is placed in the subfamily Ophiurinae.

MD32 (REUNION)

A new species of Ophiozonella (Ophiuridae, Ophiolepidinae) collected from the bathyal zone of New Caledonia is described and its post-metamorphic growth stages are illustrated and discussed. This species displays different characters inferred to be progenetic, including small size and juvenile morphology. A morphocline of dorsal disc structure in the genus Ophiozonella is elaborated and the general phenomenon of paedomorphosis in the Ophiuridae is considered.

BIOCAL, MUSORSTOM 4

The purpose of the BIOCAL, MUSORSTOM 4 and BIOGEOCAL océanographie cruises was to study the nature and the affinities of the deep-sea fauna of New Caledonia. This area has been until then poorly prospected and its echinoderm fauna is almost unknown. Among the Ophiuridae collected during these two cruises, a first group of 10 species is studied. Five of them are new for science : the subfamilial status of the genus Ophiophyllum Lyman and the affinities of the genera Anihophiura Fasmer and Aspidophiura Matsumoto are discussed. The species belonging to the genera Ophiophycis. Ophiopyrgus, Aspidophiura. Anthophiura. Ophiotypa and Perlophiura. Very small and showing a rudimentary external morphology, are considered as progenetic. These present collects show once more the frequency of these progenetic forms at bathyal and abyssal levels.

BENTHEDI, BIOCAL, BIOGEOCAL, MD20 (SAFARI), MUSORSTOM 4