STARFISHES OF THE PHILIPPINE SEAS. 107 



spines, 5; subambulacral and intermediate spinelets granuliform; 

 teeth very large. 



This is perhaps a young rohvstus, but, owing to the absence of 

 superomarginal spines and the smaller size of the plates, the speci- 

 men has been listed separately. 



Genus ASTROMESITES Fisher. 



Astromesites Fishek, 1913a, p. 611. Type, A. compactus Fisher. 



Diagnosis. — Eesembling Persephonaster and Psilaster in form, 

 but differing from them and resembling Leptychaster and Blakiaster 

 in the armature of the adambulacral and mouth plates, and espe- 

 cially in the possession of an odd interradial series of actinal inter- 

 mediate plates. Differing from Blakiaster in having the abactinal 

 plates compact and independent true paxillae, and in having well- 

 developed marginal fascioles. Marginal plates massive, the infero- 

 marginals with an appressed comb of slender spines; superomar- 

 ginals unarmed; paxillae large, flat topped, crowded; actinal inter- 

 mediate plates extending in a single series far along ray; adambu- 

 lacral plates with an angular furrow margin bearing a divergent 

 group of 5 to 7 spines and numerous subambulacrals, as in Lepty- 

 chaster; mouth plates with extensive convex surface; 3 series of 

 crowded suborals, graded in length from the straight, even furrow 

 series of long spines, which are gTaduated toward 2 inner teeth ; 

 no sharp-angular furrow series as in Perseptmiaster ; disk small, 

 rays stout, rather slender; actinal interradial areas small, the inter- 

 mediate plates extending two-thirds the length of ray. 



ASTROMESITES COMPACTUS Fisher. 



Plate 19, fig. 1; plate 24, fig. 3; plate 25, fig. 2; plate 26, fig. 2; plate 31, fig. 4; 



plate 35, figs. 2, 2ar-d. 



Astromesites compactus Fisheb, 1913a, p. 611. 



Diagnosis. — K=78 mm., r=17 mm., K=4:.6 r; breadth of ray at 

 base. 20 mm. Disk small, rays narrow but stout, tapering regularly 

 to a pointed but not attenuate extremity; sides of ray fairly high, 

 rounded; marginal plates massive; interbrachial angle abruptly 

 rounded; paxillae large, crowded, with numerous short, crowded, 

 blunt spinelets; superomarginals unarmed; inferomarginals with 

 lateral comb of 4 to 6 appressed spines; marginal fascioles rather 

 deep, abrupt, and narrow; furrow series angular, of 5 to 7 spines; 

 mouth plates with straight, numerous furrow series, and 3 series of 

 suborals; interradial areas small, an odd interradial series of inter- 

 mediate plates, and a single series far along ray; no pedicellariae. 



Description. — Paxillar area compact, narrow, about 1.75 width of 

 superomarginal plates, except at extremity of ray, where it is nar- 



