STAKFISHES OF THE PHILIPPINE SEAS. 



61 



very small and crowded in this region. Viewed from the coelomic 

 side, the intestine appears to pierce the integument. 



Interbrachial septa membranous. Gonads in a single tuft attached 

 to dorsal integument on either side of septum and near marginal 

 plates. Ampullae double ; tube feet pointed, without deposits in the 

 walls. 



A Polian A-esicle in each interradius except that of madreporic 

 canal where there are two. Well developed, slender, superambulacral 

 ossicles are present. 



The internal anatomy as a whole is rather more like Astropecten 

 than Prionaster^ especially in regard to the stomach. In certain 

 features, as in the ambulacral system, both resemble Astropecten. 



Type-locality. — Japan (Miiller and Troschel). 



Distribution. — Japan to western shore of Bay of Bengal (Vizaga- 

 patam, India [Koehler] ; Mergui Archipelago [Rudmose Brown] ; 

 Singapore [von Martens] ; Banka Straits [Sladen] ; Philippines 

 [Sladen] ) and south to the Aru Islands, west of New Guinea (Koeh- 

 ler). The southernmost locality in the Philippines is station 5235, 

 Pacific Ocean, off Mindanao. The bathymetrical range is 9 to 107 

 fathoms. 



Specimens examined. — Sixteen specimens from the following 

 Philippine localities : 



Specimens of Craspidaster hesperus examined. 



station. 



5207 



5208 



5209 

 5235 

 5358 

 5375 

 5431 



Locality. 



Ofl Western Samar 



do 



do 



Off east coast Mindanao 



Sulu Sea, off Sandakan Harbor, Borneo 



Off Marmaduque Island 



East of northern Palawan 



Depth. 



Fathoms. 

 35 



26 



20 

 44 

 39 

 107 

 51 



Nature of 

 bottom. 



Num- 

 ber. 



Green mud, ! 5 



sand. ! 



Soft green ! 2 

 mud. ' 



....do ; 2 



Softmud 1 



Mud 4 



Green mud 1 



Sand 1 



Subfamily Astropectininae Sladen. 



Diagnosis. — Phanerozonia with large marginal plates, true pax- 

 illae, and parapaxillae; with pointed tube feet (a flat or true 

 sucking disk being always absent) ; with double ampullae; no cribri- 

 form organs, but frequently well-developed marginal fascioles, which 

 are never webbed ; actinal fascioles never webbed ; with an intestine, 

 and usually an intestinal coecum; anus absent, small, or well devel- 

 oped; superambulacral plates always present. 



This division corresponds exactly to the Astropectinidae as de- 

 fined by me in Asteroidea of the North Pacific (1911<Z, p. 37). The 

 family has been changed only by the addition of Craspidastev., for 



