N. M. Litvinova & T. A. Savilova
P.P.Shirshov Institute of Oceanology RAN, Moscow, 117997, Russia. (bottom51@mail.ru)
Over a long period the Laboratory of Bottom Fauna has collected a large body of data on the Echinodermata of the World oceans. Most of them are in the Ophiuroidea. It is necessary to systematize available material for the creation of the database. The Catalogue of the Ophiura was developed by the Laboratory of Bottom Fauna (MS EXEL), and it is contained in the database as its taxonomic block. The Catalogue has been created on basis of the collections present and the determinations of species of the Ophiuroidea from collections of expeditions of the IORAN from 1948 to today. The Catalogue includes information on 17 families (including the subfamilies) and more than 200 species of Ophiuroidea of the World Oceans. It contains data of more than 1500 collection samples, each with the original number of catalogue, name of species; collection site (geographical coordinates, depth), and the abundance the material in storage. This Catalogue may be used by specialists in invertebrate zoology. This Catalogue may be used by specialists in invertebrate zoology for research activities. It may act as a platform for information exchange between museums. The institute plans do design an exhaustive database on Invertebrates of the World Ocean and it is planned to integrate the database into this one.