NO. 2 DEICHMANN : HOLOTHURIOIDEA ; PART II, ASPIDOCHIROTA 303 



back, occasionally fusing into larger black spots in two rows. Tentacles 

 pale yellow, except in Semper othuria flavomaculata. 



Type species: Holothuria languens Selenka. 



Remarks: Panning's imitans group is accepted with the exclusion 

 of H. edulis Jaeger, which is placed near the atra group for the present. 

 H. languens is proposed as the type of the genus as it is older than H. 

 imitans and the Hancock material has shown that it is well defined, 

 although in the past it has often been confused with H. imitans, which 

 likewise occurs in the Panamic waters. 



Key to the species of the genus Semper othuria 



1. Most tables with flattened base; pillars parallel and ending in 

 eight spines forming a single flat Maltese cross. Supporting 

 rods in feet and papillae mostly narrow, with perforated ends, 



occasionally with lateral holes. Indo-Pacific 



imitans (Ludwig) 



1. Most tables with base tapering to a cone, with or without a 

 few spines; pillars rarely parallel, ending in a double Maltese 

 cross on top of spire. Large bars scattered in the skin. ... 2 



2. Numerous spines or rough areas on the broad bars in the skin. 

 Several stone canals. Tentacles dark. Samoa to Batavia. 

 flavomaculata (Semper) 



2. Bars in skin smooth or rarely with a few spines. Single stone 

 canal. Tentacles lightly colored 3 



3. Bars usually with dentate edge, rarely closing to form a series 

 of lateral holes. Large form, up to 20 cm long. West Indies, 

 possibly also West Africa. . . surinamensis (Ludwig) 



3. Bars usually with marginal row of holes, rarely with a few 

 spines present. Small form, to 10 cm long. Panamic region. 

 languens (Selenka) 



Semperothuria languens (Selenka) 

 PI. 4, figs. 5-7 



Holothuria languens Selenka, 1867, p. 335, pi. 19, figs. 80-81. Panning, 



1934, II, p. 44, fig. 37 (copied from Selenka). 

 Non Holothuria languens, Deichmann, 1930, p. 64, pi. 3, fig. 16; 1938, 



p. 367, text-fig. 3. (In both cases, H. imitans Ludwig) 



