STARFISHES OF THE PHILIPPINE SEAS. 67 



Type.— C2it. No. 30510, U.S.N.M. 



Type-locality. — Station 5157, off Tinakta Island. Tawi Tawi 

 Group, Sulu Archipelago, 18 fathoms, fine sand. 



Distribution. — Sulu Archipelago to southern Luzon, east coast of 

 Palawan, and east coast of Mindanao, in 14 to 44 fathoms, sand and 

 mud. The known distribution centers, therefore, in the shallow en- 

 virons of the Sulu Sea. 



Specimens examined. — Forty-six from the following localities: 



Specimens o/ Astropecten phragmorus examined. 



Bemarks. — The differences separating this form from acanthifer 

 of the Banda Sea have already been dealt with. The only species 

 which has longer superomarginal spines than phragniorufi is the well- 

 known Astropecten polyacanthus. No species of the Indo-Pacific 

 region, other than poly acanthus .^ has the superomarginal spines as 

 long as those of phragmorus. 



ASTROPECTEN MINDANENSIS Doderlein. 



Plate 10, fig. 2. 



Astropecten mind one mis Doderlein, 1917, pp. 52, 131, 178, pi. 4, fig. 8 ; 

 pi. 12, figs. 3-3c. 



Diagnosis. — Similar to Astropecten andersoni Sladen, but with 

 narrower rays, and the longer superomarginal spines all close to the 

 inner margin of the plate; proximal inferomarginal lateral spines 

 broad and flat. R=3.8 to 5.5 r; breadth of ray at base about 

 equal to r. 



Description. — The original description is substantially as follows: 

 R:r=30:9 mm.; R=4.3 r. The rays taper rather uniformly from 

 the base to the extremity. R equals from 3.8 to 4.4 r. The supero- 

 marginal plates are extremely narrow, and throughout much higher 

 than broad. The paxillar area, opposite the fifth superomarginal 

 plate, occupies two-thirds of the total breadth of the ray. Here 5 

 transverse series of paxillae correspond to 2 marginal plates. The 

 central spinelets of the paxillae (upward of 12) are appreciably 

 smaller than the peripheral spinelets. The superomarginal plates 



