ACTINOPODOrS HOLOTHUEIOIDEA. 



61 



Description : — Teiitaelos 20, Body about a foot long. Ven- 

 tral surface uniformly brown or dark olive. Dorsum dark gray, 

 here and there lighter ; with numerous large, almost black, sharp- 

 ly marked circles arranged more or less in longitudinal rows. 

 Often two or more circles are united so as to form irregular 

 figures. The circles are always surrounded by a whitish space, 

 and are especially black in the margin and in the centre, a pa- 

 pilla arising fi'om the latter point. Calcareous deposits numerous, 

 in the form of more or less complete rosettes. Anus not distinctly 

 stellate. Polian vesicles two. Cuvierian tubes very numerous. 



Remarks : — On account of the characteristic markinors of the 

 dorsal surface, this is one of the easiest species to identify. It is 

 tolerably common in the Okinawa group and in Amami-Öshima. 

 The animal lives among coral stocks at a depth of 3—6 fath- 

 oms. In the fresh state two individuals measured, when some- 

 what contracted, 30 cm. in length and 11 cm. in breadth, so that 

 in a fully expanded state they must have been much larger. In 

 alcohol, individuals measure 14 — 10 cm. in length and 6 — 11 cm. in 

 width. In life, the dorsum is of an ashy white ground color, and 

 on it are scattered the numerous characteristic circular argus spots 

 4 — 7 mm. in diameter. On each of the lines corresponding roughly 



