NO. 2 DEICHMANN: HOLOTHURIOIDEA; PARTII, ASPIDOCHIROTA 301 



or two Polian vesicles, one or more small free stone canals; large Cu- 

 vierian organs present. 



Spicules an external layer of tables, usually scattered, with round 

 to squarish disk, often reduced to 3 or 4 central holes and some mar- 

 ginal holes ; spire low, often reduced to one rod ; if complete, the crown 

 consists of 1 to 4 spines. Inner layer of small buttons, often incomplete, 

 approaching the rosette form of M. pervicax (PL 3, figs. 24-29) ; the 

 typical button has two narrow slitlike holes and one or two pairs of 

 minute holes in the ends. Ventral feet with end plate and elongate per- 

 forated rods or plates, more or less buttonlike ; dorsal papillae with rudi- 

 mentary end plate and mostly narrow supporting rods. 



Color variable, dorsal side ash-gray or brownish, more or less mot- 

 tled, papillae often with a black area around the base, with a narrow 

 white ring inside it. Ventral side pale gray with a velvet black ring 

 around the base of the retractile feet, which have a pale disk. 



Type: Probably not existing in any collection. Semper's specimen 

 upon which he based his excellent description may possibly be in some 

 collection in Germany, where Ludwig's Holothuria curiosa may also be 

 kept; H. pluricuriosa is in the Museum of Comparative Zoology. 



Type locality: Celebes, where Semper's material also came from; 

 Holothuria curiosa was collected at Bowen, Australia, and H. pluri- 

 curiosa came from Santa Ines Bay, Gulf of California. 



Distribution: As far as can be ascertained, the species ranges from 

 Ceylon (Pearson), Australia (H. L. Clark and others). Navigator 

 Island (Theel), Samoa and the Philippine Islands (Semper), to the 

 Panamic region. Apparently not reported from the Hawaiian Islands, 

 where Mertensiothuria pervicax occurs. 



Depth: Shore down to a few fathoms. 



Specimens examined: Several in the Museum of Comparative 

 Zoology, from Mer Island, Torres Strait, etc. The type of Holothuria 

 pluricuriosa, and the 17 specimens collected at eight stations by the 

 Hancock expeditions, all in the Gulf of California, about 24°-25° N, 

 near Espiritu Santo Island and Escondido, from tide level to 12 fathoms. 



Remarks: Panning indicates a length of 10 cm for Holothuria 

 curiosa, but Jaeger gives 5 or 6 inches (15 to 18 cm), and Theel, who 

 had occasion to investigate both "species," mentions 18 and 22 cm. Al- 

 though Jaeger's description is brief, I think it is justifiable to maintain 

 his name, particularly as Semper has given an adequate description based 

 on a series from Jaeger's type locality, Celebes, as well as from Samoa 

 and Bolo. This view is also that held by H. L. Clark in 1946. 



