324 ALLAN HANCOCK PACIFIC EXPEDITIONS VOL. 11 



Type: Both Holothuria inhabilis and H. hypamma are in the 

 Museum of Comparative Zoology. 



Type locality: Hawaii (small individuals). The large individuals 

 of Holothuria hypamma came from Mer Island, Murray Islands, Torres 

 Strait. Clark also had small individuals from Green Island, Queensland 

 (approximately 16° 80' S, 146° E), and Port Galera, Philippines. 



Distribution: Ranges from Hawaii to the Australian waters in the 

 west and to the Panamic region in the east. The species was reported 

 from various localities in the latter region in 1937, including Clarion 

 Island, and the Hancock expeditions have further extended the range by 

 bringing back 19 specimens from the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, Cocos 

 Island, and four localities in the Gulf of California, between 27° and 

 29° N. 



Depth: Nothing is known about the depth at which the types of 

 Selenka and Clark were taken, but probably it was rather shallow water. 

 The Hancock material came from 8 to 111 fathoms, with the majority 

 of the specimens taken at 20 to 50 fathoms. 



Specimens examined: The types and paratypes of Holothuria in- 

 habilis and H. hypamma] three specimens from the Zaca expeditions; 

 Ludwig's H. maculata from Cocos Island, 66 fathoms (U.S.N.M.) ; 

 and the 19 specimens collected by the Velero HI. 



Remarks: The material on hand ranges in length from 7 to 20 cm, 

 the larger specimens so strongly contracted that they undoubtedly would 

 measure 25 to 30 cm when expanded. The color varies from almost white 

 to pale brown, darker above, sometimes with indistinct large spots or 

 sprinkled with dark dots. The smaller individuals may be reminiscent of 

 Fossothuria rigida, but the skin is less rough to the touch and the papil- 

 lae, particularly the lateral ones, are usually distinct. The buttons are 

 so different in the small and the large individuals that one at first is in- 

 clined to refer them to different species. In the young individuals there 

 is a preponderance of elongate buttons with 5 to 7 pairs of holes and the 

 middle bar often projects at one or both ends. In the large individuals 

 a smaller, more regular knobbed button with six holes becomes dominant 

 while the tables are more or less resorbed. 



H. L. Clark in 1946 withdrew the name Holothuria hypamma as a 

 synonym of Selenka's H. inhabilis. Most likely Jaeger's H. fuscopunc- 

 tata, from Celebes, is identical with Jaegerothuria inhabilis] Semper's 

 figure of a large complex button is rather suggestive of one of the large 

 buttons in the /. inhabilis material. Fortunately, as Clark has pointed 



