80 " ENDEAVOUR " SCIENTIFIC RESULTS. 



Ophiocreas sibog^, Koehler. 



Ophiocreas Sibogce, Koehler, Ophiures de I'Exped. du Siboga, 

 i., Ophiures de Mer Profonde, 1904, p. 165. 



It is not without some hesitation that I refer these seven 

 specimens to this East Indian species, after comparing 

 them with a cotype of 0. sibogce. The most obvious 

 difference is in colour, the cotype being uniformly yellow 

 and the AustraHan specimens reddish flesh-colour with 

 a more or less heavy purple cast. This difference, how- 

 ever, must be disregarded since Koehler gives the colour 

 of 0. sibogce as " reddish-purple violet," not altogether 

 unhke the Australian material, apparently. Other differ- 

 ences, somewhat intangible, though noticeable when the 

 specimens are side by side, I beheve may properly be re- 

 ferred to individual diversity. The " Endeavour " speci- 

 mens are all adult and are in fine condition ; the largest 

 has the disk 25 mm. across and the arms 610 mm. long. 

 This is, I believe, much the largest specimen of Ophiocreas 

 yet recorded. Although this species and the preceding 

 (0. phanerum) were both taken east of Flinders Island, 80- 

 300 fathoms, I do not infer from this record that they occurred 

 in the same haul of the trawl, but of course it is possible they 

 did. They are so obviously unhke in their arm-spines 

 (tentacle-scales) and teeth, that they cannot be confused, even 

 if taken together. 



In regard to the use of the generic name Ophiocreas, I regret 

 to see that Doderlein and Matsumoto treat it as a synonym of 

 Asteroschema. While it is probable that the old line of 

 division between the two genera is not by itself valid, I think 

 it is practically certain that we are dealing with two natural 

 groups which ought to be kept separate. I therefore propose 

 to continue the use of Ophiocreas for species like 0. phanerum 

 and 0. sibogce, and of Asteroschema for species like oligactes 

 (Pallas), even though I am not yet prepared to define either 

 genus accurately. 



Locs. — East of FUnders Island, Bass Strait, 80-300 fathoms. 



Great Australian Bight, 129° 6' 30" E., 200-300 fathoms. 



Family GORGONOCEPHALID^. 

 Genus Asteroporpa, Liltken. 

 AsTEROPORPA AUSTRALiENSis, H. L. Clark. 

 Asteroporpa australiensis, H. L. Clark, Mem. Austr. Mus., 



iv., 11, 1909, p. 547. 

 This is a nice series of this interesting species, the disk- 

 diameters ranging from about 7 to nearly 18 mm. ; in the 



