REPORT ON THE ASTEROIDEA. 



539 



Chorology of the Genus Mithrodia. 

 a. Geographical distribution : — 



Atlantic : One species between the parallels of 15° and 25° S. 



Mithrodia victories, off the Victoria Bank, east coast of Brazil. 

 Indian Ocean : One species between the parallels of 0° and 30° S. 



* Mithrodia clavigera, from Mauritius, and extending into the 

 Eastern Archipelago and Pacific. 

 Eastern Archipelago : One species between the parallels of 20° N. and 10° S. 

 ^Mithrodia clavigera, from Java, Flores, and the Moluccas, and 

 extending into the Indian Ocean and Pacific. 

 Pacific : Two species between the parallels of 30° N. and 30° S. 



* Mithrodia clavigera, from the Fiji Islands, Samoa Islands, Tahiti, 

 and Sandwich Islands, and extending into the Eastern Archipelago 

 and Indian Ocean. Mithrodia bradleyi, from the western coast of 

 the American continent, extending from California to Panama. 

 0. Bathymetrical range : Shallow water to 39 fathoms. 



y. Nature of the Sea-bottom : Mithrodia clavigera on coral reefs ; Mithrodia victorias 

 on dead coral ; Mithrodia bradleyi on rocks. 



The species collected by the Challenger is indicated by an asterisk in the above list. 



Chorological Synopsis of the Species. 



1. Mithrodia clavigera (Lamarck), Perrier. 



Asterias clavigera, Lamarck, 1816, Hist. nat. anim. s. vert., t. ii. p. 562. 



Mithrodia spinulosa, Gray, 1840, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., vol. vi. p. 288. 



Ophidiaater echinulatux, Miiller and Troschel, 1842, System der Asteriden, p. 32. 



Heresaster papillosus, Michelin, 1844, Revue Zoologique, p. 173; Mag. de Zool., 1845, p. 19, pi. ix. 



Echinaster echinulatu*, v. Martens, 1866, Archiv f. Naturgesch., Jahrg. xxxii. Bd. i. p. 59. 



Mithrodia echinulata, Lutken, 1871, Videnskab. Medd. natur. Foren. i Kj0benhavn, p. 266. 



Mithrodia clavigera, Perrier, 1875, Revis. Stell. Mus., p. 114 (Archives de Zool. exper., t. iv. p. 378). 



Locality. — Kandavu. Fiji Islands. On the reefs. 



