STARFISHES OF THE PHILIPPINE SEAS. 97 



Superomarginal plates, 53 to a ray, are oriented a little more 

 obliquely than in hawaiiensis and are separated by deep fascicles, 

 lined with fine spinelets. As in hawaiiensis^ they form a rounded 

 margin to the abactinal surface, encroach conspicuously upon abac- 

 tinal area and are practically abactinal in position, except in the 

 interbrachia, being much wider than high on the rays. The surface 

 of the plate is covered with a nap of delicate, blunt spinelets, short 

 on the exposed surface, becoming rather abruptly longer around the 

 margins. They are more delicate than in hawaiiensis and are not 

 enlarged at the outer end of the plate as in that species. (Fisher, 

 1906, pi. 3, jfig. la.) A majority of the plates have a small fascicu- 

 late pedicellaria in the outer or lateral side and near the aboral 

 margin, consisting of 3 to 6 small spinelets a little more tapered, 

 but not longer than the surrounding spinelets. These pedicellariae 

 are often hidden by the ends of the inferomarginal spines. Rarely 

 a similar, though coarser, pedicellaria occurs in C. hawaiiensis.^ 

 usually hidden by the ends of the inferomarginal spines. I over- 

 looked these in the original description, as they are difficult to deter- 

 mine unless the specimen is dry. 



The terminal plate is longer in proportion to width than in 

 hawanensls. 



Inferomarginals corresponding to the superomarginals and extend- 

 ing laterally slightly beyond them. They are short and wide, with 

 the same type of armature as in hawaiiensis, but, generally speaking, 

 the primary spines are more delicate and fewer and the thorny 

 hooked tips less conspicuous. At the outer end of the plate in 

 haicaiiensis there are 3 oblique, concentric, arcuate series of spines, 

 the outer overlapping and covering the inner two (Fisher, 1906, 

 j)l. 3. figs, la, Ic). The innermost series has 3 to 5 spines (in hawaii- 

 ensis), the middle 6 to 8, and the outer series proximally 8 or 9, and 

 distally 5 to 7. In diploctenius these numbers are : Inner series, not 

 present; middle series, proximally 5, distally 3 or 4; outer series, 

 proximally 5 to 7, distally 3 to 5. On the ventral surface of the plate, 

 in hawaiiensis, there is a series of 5 to 8 stout, unequal, flattened 

 spines continuing the outermost lateral series to the inner end of 

 plate. These overlie 6 or more smaller and more delicate spinules, 

 which represent a continuation of the innermost lateral series. In 

 diploctenius the first of these series has 5 or 6 more delicate spines, 

 proximally, and 2 or 3 distally, situated nearer the aboral margin 

 than in hawaiiensis. The second series is not present. In front of — 

 that is, adoral to — the outer row of lateral spines and its actinal con- 

 tinuation are numerous slender, flattened accessory spinules, tipped 

 as the big spines and forming about the base of each spine a curved 

 series of 4 or 5. The primary spines are all slenderer than in 



