JAPANESE ASTEROIDEA. 25 



tapered, sharp spine, tlie basal ones and those bordering tlie disk becoming 

 larger and exceeding those of the centre of the disk. Lower marginal 

 X)lates bear each a vertical row of about 3 spines, the up]per one much the 

 longest, and along the middle of the arm as long as those of the upper 

 plates, but becoming much smaller at the base of the arm and along the 

 disk, where the latter increase in size. The ventral plates form small 

 triangular areas ; they are rounded, raised in the middle, and each bears 

 one or two small acute spines, but no granules. The adambulacral plates 

 project strongly inward, and each bears an inner convex row of 4 or 5 

 small, slender spines and a transverse outer row of much larger ones, of 

 which one or two inner are much the largest. Suckers large, tapered, pinched 

 up at tip. Larger radius, 150 mm ; smaller, 22 mm. Still larger examples 

 were taken. Station 2035, in 1362 fathoms, etc. 



" Bentliopeden, gen, nov., resembles Archader, but differs in having no 

 paxillœ ; the dermal plates usually bsaring a single spine, sometimes two or 

 three." 



In his paper of 1885 Yekrill refers to this species as follows ['85, p. 

 519] : 



"A very interesting neAV form, taken in many localities, is related to 

 Archaster and Astropscten, closely resembling some of the spinose species of 

 these genera in general ai3pearance. It rej)resented a new genus {Bentho- 

 pecten spinosKS V.). The flat dorsal surface is closely covered with tesselated, 

 angular plates, having single, definite, small pores for solitary brancliial 

 papulae between them, while there are no true paxillae, the small spinules 

 arising singly, or two or tlu-ee together, directly from the plates. The 

 marginal plates, above and below, bear single large, sharp spines, the five 

 largest ones occupying the central interbrachial plates, on the upper margin. 

 The disk is of moderate or rather small size, but the arms are long and 

 tapered. It occmTed in 855 to 1,917 fathoms, in 1883, but is most abun- 

 dant in 1,200 to 1,500 fathoms." 



Further on in the same paper Verrill remarks as follows ['85, p. 543] : 

 " B[athymetrical] range, 855 to 1,917 fathoms, 1883. Common; locally 

 abundant." 



