400 



FISHERY BULLETIN OF THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE 



smaller buttons with a larger number of knobs. 

 Also scattered perforated plates with flat to 

 knobbed surface. Feet with or without a small 

 end plate; walls with stout supporting rods, often 

 with a third arm. In the papillae the supporting 

 rods are modified into plates, bent or flat. Intro- 

 vert with rosettes; tentacles with heavy perforated 

 rods. Type: British Museum. Type locality: 

 Bahia, Brazil. Distribution: Ranges from Brazil, 

 Trinidad to Florida and South Carolina. From 

 tide mark down to 20 fathoms. In the Mexican 

 Gulf known from Sanibel Island, Florida. The 

 strong development of the ventral feet indicates 

 that the animals live, limpet-like, attached to 

 hard bottom, and this was observed to be the case 

 of a specimen collected at Maguerepe Bay, Trini- 

 dad. It seems to be one of the more common 

 species along the west coast of Florida. 



Genus 8 ECHINOCUCUMIS Sars 1859 

 Echinocucumis hispida (Barrett) 



Eupyrgus hispidus Barrett, 1856, p. 46, pi. 4, figs. la-6. 

 Echinocucumis hispida, Deichmann, 1930, p. 150, pi. 18, 

 fig. 9. 



Diagnosis. — Few cm. long, globular, with an- 

 terior and posterior end drawn out into short 

 tubes; tentacles 10, almost finger-shaped. Spicules 

 plates with large holes, smaller toward the mar- 

 gin, and spire, if present, reticulated and excentric 

 in position. The feet pass out between the plates 

 which often are indented for their passage. Type: 

 Probably lost. Type locality: Coast of Norway. 

 Distribution: From North Cape to Discaya, 100 

 to 250 fathoms. In the western Atlantic taken 

 by Pourtales near Florida and also by the Alba- 

 tross between Bahamas and Cuba at 85 to 193 

 fathoms depth. Apparently the species is not 

 common in the western Atlantic. 



Echinocucumis hispida (Barrett) var. atypica 

 Deichmann 



Echinocucumis typicus Tlitel, 1886a, p. 9 (partim). 

 Echinocucumis hispida (Barrett) var. atypica Deich- 

 mann, 1930, p. 152, pi. 18, figs. 10-11. 



Diagnosis. — As the typical form, except the 

 spire is solid. Type: Museum of Comparative 

 Zoology. Type locality: Off St. Kitts, 116 

 fathoms. Distribution: Taken from the type 

 locality and off Havana, 100 fathoms depth. 



Genus 9 SPHAEROTHURIA Ludwig 1894 



KEY TO THE SPECIES KNOWN FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO 



Scales coarsely reticulated; reticulation appears late. Tentacles with perforated, oblong plates. 



Sphaerothuria asperrima (Th6el), p. 400 

 Scales finely reticulated; reticulation appears early. Tentacles with cylindrical rods. 



Sphaerothuria talismani (Perrier) , p. 400 



Sphaerothuria asperrima (Th^el) 



Echinocucumis asperrima Th6el, 1886a, p. 10. 

 Sphaerothuria asperrima Deichmann, 1930, p. 152, pi. 19, 

 figs. 1-2. 



Diagnosis. — Large species, body 2 cm. in diam- 

 eter; oral and anal tubes 2 cm. (together). Scales 

 up to 2 mm. in diameter; spire centrally placed 

 and with several pillars. Type: Museum of Com- 

 parative Zoology. Type locality: Islas de Pinos, 

 Cuba, 158 fathoms. Distribution: Also taken off 

 Kingston, Jamaica, Virgin Islands, and off Morro 

 Light, Cuba. From 24 to 400 fathoms. In the 

 smallest specimen, from off Morro Light, the 

 plates lack almost all reticulation, but the feet 

 pass through the plates and the scales are also 

 larger than in E. hispida which is the species one 

 might be inclined to refer it to. 



Sphaerothuria talismani (Perrier) 



Ypsilothuria talismani Perrier, 1902, p. 318, pi. 12, figs. 

 9-10, text fig. 12. 



Sphaerothuria talismani Deichmann, 1930, p. 154, pi. 

 19, fig. 3. 



Diagnosis. — Small form with finely reticulated 

 plates, with central spire with numerous crossbars. 

 Tentacles with cylindrical rods with perforated 

 ends. Type: Paris. Type locality: Cape Finis 

 Terre, Spain. Distribution: From Biscaya to 

 west coast of Africa, 300 to 1,000 fathoms. In 

 the western Atlantic taken along the Lesser 

 Antilles and north of Havana and along the coast 

 of New England. In the eastern Atlantic taken 

 from 300 to 1,000 fathoms (if all Perrier's material 

 refers to the same species) ; in the American waters 

 taken from 339 to 1,491 fathoms. 



