A MONOGRAPH OF THE EXISTING CRINOIDS 437 



COMASTER MULTIBRACHIATA (P. H. Carpenter) 



Plate 46, Figure 142 



[See also vol. 1, pt. 1, fig. 59 (comb), p. 85; pt. 2, figs. 414-417 (pinnule tips), p. 255; fig. 696 (disk), 

 p. 341; pi. 11, fig. 1029 (analysis of arm structure); pi. 17, fig. 1073 (oral pinnule)] 



Comatula, sp. P. H. CARPENTER, Trans. Linn. Soc. (Zool.), ser. 2, vol. 2, p. 23, footnote (first 2 



distichals united by syzygy). 



Actinometra novae-guineae P. H. CARPENTER, Proc. Roy. Soc., vol. 28, 1879, p. 386. 

 Actinomelra multibrachiata P. H. CARPENTER, Challenger Reports, Zoology, vol. 26, pt. 60, 1888, 



p. 299 (description; Banda; remarks); pi. 56, figs. 3, 4. HARTLAUB, Nova Acta Acad. German., 



vol. 58, No. 1, 1891, p. 109 (systematic position). MINCKERT, Archiv f. Naturgesch., Jahrg. 



71, 1905, vol. 1, Heft 1, pp. 217 and following (regeneration). HAMANN, Bronns Klassen u. 



Ordnungen des Tier-Reiehs, vol. 2, Abt. 3, 1907, p. 1584. A. H. CLARK, Proc. U. S. Nat. 



Mus., vol. 33, 1908, p. 684 (assigned by Carpenter to the Typica group); Memoirs Australian 



Mus., vol. 4, pt. 15, 1911, p. 748 (same); Criuoids of the Indian Ocean, 1912, p. 35 (identity). 

 Aclinometra regalis BELL, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1894, p. 396 (Macclesfield Bank, 30 fathoms). 

 Comatula multibrachiata A. H. CLARK, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 33, 1908, p. 685 (listed); vol. 35, 



1908, p. 124 (listed). 

 Phanogenia multibrachiata A. H. CLARK, Smiths. Miscell. Coll., vol. 52, pt. 2, 1908, p. 203 (arm 



structure; systematic position); p. 204 (Albatross stations 5141, 5142, 5146); Proc. U. S. Nat. 



Mus., vol. 36, 1909, p. 392 (Albatross stations 5248, 5249, 5254). 

 Comaster multibrachiata A. H. CLARK, Crinoids of the Indian Ocean, 1912, pp. 35, 38 (identity of 



previous records); p. 86 (Andaman Is.; description; summary of previous records); Smiths. 



Miscell. Coll., vol. 61, No. 15, 1913, p. 13 (published reference to the specimen in the B. M.; 



Banda, 17 fathoms.); Uustalked Crinoids of the Siboga Exped., 1918, p. 35 (in key; range); 



p. 39 (references; stations 240, 316); pp. 274, 276 (listed). 

 Comaster fruticosus A. H. CLARK, Smiths. Miscell. Coll., vol. 61, No. 15, p. 13 (published reference 



to a specimen in the B. M.; Macclesfield Bank, 30 fathoms; characters). 



Diagnostic features. Large and robust, with 140-160 arms and numerous stout 

 cirri consisting of 13-16 segments. All the preserved specimens which I have seen 

 are dark red or yellow brown in color. 



Description. The centrodorsal is discoidal, rather thick, circular to subpentag- 

 onal, with the sides sloping inward toward the broad and deeply concave dorsal 

 pole. It is separated from the radials by large and deep subradial clefts, which 

 cause the sides to appear to project somewhat over the radials. The cirrus sockets 

 are arranged in from 1 to 2 irregular and alternating marginal rows. 



The cirri are numerous, large and stout, but usually showing much diversity 

 of development in each individual, about XXV, 14-16. Nearly all of the segments 

 are longer than broad. The opposing spine is small. 



The radials are short, five or six times as broad as long, with the distal border 

 straight and the dorsal surface in the proximal portion more or less concave, forming 

 an arched ventral wall to the subradial cleft beneath. The IB^ are short, from 

 four to six times as broad as long, with the proximal and distal edges straight and 

 parallel and the lateral edges parallel and usually in more or less extensive contact 

 basally. The IBr 2 (axillaries) are short, about 3 times as broad as long, triangular, 

 with the lateral angles broadly truncated and widely separated from those of their 

 neighbors, and the distal angle obtuse. The 2 elements of the IBr series are united 

 by a more or less perfect syzygy. The IIBr series are 4 (1+2, 3 + 4), the syzygy 

 between the first 2 elements being more or less perfectly developed. They are rather 



