The Echinoderm Fauna of South Africa, 267 



of the Museum of Comparative Zoology and have been examined by 

 Fisher, who has published some notes on them (1911, Bull. 7(5 U. S. 

 Nat. Mus., p. 166). In the PIETER FAURE collection, I find a single 

 starfish (P.F. 18154. Cape Point, N.E. by E. 3 / 4 E., 28 miles. IJOU fins. 

 Fne. s.) which is undoubtedly identical with these M. C Z. specimens 

 (as comparison side by side shows) but it is considerably larger and 

 differs in certain details. Its most striking feature is the abundance 

 of large bivalved, and often excavate, pedicellariae all over the ab- 

 actinal and marginal plates ; they are rather infrequent on the actinal 

 surface and seem to be wholly lacking on the adambulacral plates, 

 the only plates on which they are to be found in the M. C. Z. spe- 

 cimens, one would infer from Pusher's notes (pp. cit. p. 167). However 

 Fisher probably does not mean to imply that, for there are numerous 

 pedicellariae on the abactinal surface of both these specimens, while 

 the adambulacral pedicellariae occur only in the larger. Judging 

 from the three individuals at hand, in which R = 42, 48 and 54 mm. 

 respectively, one would say of this species: large, bivalved, often 

 excavate, pedicellariae occur commonly and even abundantly on the 

 abactinal and superomarginal plates, but are less frequent and may 

 be wanting on the inferomarginal and actinal plates; their occurrence 

 on the adambulacrals is unusual and when present there, they are 

 strictly bivalve and have high, rather narrow jaws. 



Both Verrill and Fisher put this species in Tosia but it would 

 seem to be nearer to Plinthaster. Verrill apparently had not seen 

 any specimens but, except for the large size of the pedicellariae, 

 the individuals at hand, answer well to his diagnosis of Plinthaster. 

 They also run down to Plinthaster most naturally and without question 

 in Fisher's admirable key to the genera of Goniasteridae (oj>. cit., 

 pp. 169 174); here again the only difference is in pedicellariae. 

 On the other hand the obvious presence of secondary plates in the 

 radial areas seems an obstacle to putting this species in Tosia, and 

 the general facies is quite as unlike that genus as it is that of 

 Plinthaster. Dr. Fisher thinks that the species these South African 

 specimens represent might well be made the type of a new genus 

 but I think it will be well to wait until more material is available 

 and further study has been made of Gray's type material in the 

 British Museum. 



The PIETER FAURE specimen has much longer rays relatively than 

 either of the M. C. Z. specimens, so that the body form is quite 

 different. This can best be shown by the following comparison. In 

 the larger M. C. Z. specimen, R = 48 mm.; r = 28 mm.; br half- 

 way to tip of ray, 22 mm.: br three-quarters of the way to tip, 8 mm. ; 



