NEW RECORD OF ATHYOXE GLASSELLI 181 



agreement with its life along the exposed shore of the tropical Pacific. 

 As far as known it lives hidden in sand whereas T. briareus is found in 

 muddy localities, often attached to "eel grass." 



In view of what we know about the distribution of other Panamic 

 forms it is not unlikely that A. glasselli ranges from the northern end of 

 the Gulf of California to the shores of northern Peru, and the reason 

 why it has escaped notice is because of its burrowing habits. 



If it should occur as far south as Peru, it raises the question whether 

 or not part of Troschel's material of "Anaperus peruana" refers to this 

 species, namely the material in Berlin which Selenka in 1868 unhesitat- 

 ingly united with his own T. tenella, described in 1867, and Troschel's 

 Anaperus carolinus, from Texas and South Carolina respectively — both 

 straight synonyms of Lesueur's T. briareus. 



It is unfortunate that we do not know whether Troschel had one or 

 two species before him or whether his "peruana" was based partly upon 

 Lesson's description, partly upon a species which actually resembled 

 briareus. The fact that his material had tentacles filled with spicules so 

 they "creaked" when scratched with a knife indicates Lesson's species, 

 as also the length — 6 inches — and the deep purplish color. On the other 

 hand, his description of a calcareous ring with short posterior projections, 

 coupled with the fact that Selenka united Troschel's peruana with the 

 Atlantic briareus {tenella and carolinus) makes one wonder whether 

 Troschel had some material of A. glasselli before him, for so far this 

 is the only West coast species which resembles T. briareus. 



The type of Lesson's peruvianus is lost, but the name Anaperus 

 peruvianus (Lesson) is now given to a large purplish species of which 

 there are three specimens extant in museums: one in the American 

 Museum, New York, two in the Zoological Museum in Copenhagen 

 (see Deichmann, 1952). 



If ^, glasselli should be discovered in the Peruvian waters its name 

 will remain unchanged, but to its synonymy should be added: Anaperus 

 peruana Troschel, 1846 (partim) — nee Holothuria peruviana Lesson, 

 1830. This represents a correction to the conclusions reached in 1941, 

 before the material of Lesson's species had been re-described. 



As far as relationship is concerned Athyone and Anaperus are well 

 separated ; the latter has, among other characters, tentacles of equal size, 

 simple ring without posterior prolongations, and a most striking reddish 

 pigment which is extracted by alcohol so that it often discolors the labels 

 in the jar wherein the specimen is kept. 



When more material becomes available of glasselli it will be possible 



