STAUFISHES OF THE PHILIPPINE SEAS. 45 



very narrow; constantly very small paxillae; much more numerous 

 marginal plates ; lower inferomarginals, of which the whole exposed 

 surface is confined to lateral surface of ray ; very delicate and not at 

 all flattened fasciole spinelets; smaller and more numerous actinal 

 plates in each corresponding double series; differently shaped and 

 more angular adambulacral plates, with a different armature; 

 madreporic plate with fiiner and more numerous ridges. 11=52 mm., 

 r=14 mm., R=3.7 r; breadth of ray at middle of R, about 10 mm. 

 (An unusually slender rayed crispatus from Japan: R=2.8 r; 

 breadth of ray at middle of R, 14 mm.) 



Description. — Rays constantly long and slender with wide, rounded 

 interbrachia ; disk moderate. Paxillar area narrow on rays, being 

 about equal at the middle to height of combined marginal plates. 

 Paxillae small, delicate, with upward of 10 slender equal terete spine- 

 lets on the largest, 4 or 5 on the smaller. A prominent slender cone 

 present on center of disk, on which the plates are smaller than 

 elsewhere. 



Marginal plates numerous (26 or 27 to a ray in each series), the 

 superomarginals proximally higher than inferomarginals, distally 

 subequal. Fascioles deep between superomarginals, very shallow be- 

 tween inferomarginals, the spinelets supporting the membrane being 

 delicate and slender, and relative to height of plate, longer than in 

 crispatus. The superomarginals are lower in oi'kntalis than in cm- 

 patus, the height being equal to about the length of one and a half 

 plates in the interbrachium (two in crispatus) ^ while far along ray 

 both series are square (higher than wide in crispatus) . The infero- 

 marginals are conspicuously lower than in crispatus., the exposed 

 surface being confined to lateral wall of ray, while in crispatus they 

 encroach markedly upon the actinal area. About 8 to 10 fasciolar 

 spinelets in total width of an interbrachial inferomarginal, about 

 12 to a superomarginal (respectively about 14, and 12 to 14 in cris- 

 patus). The specialized marginal spines slenderer than in crispatus 

 and the inferomarginal series sometimes absent except on outer part 

 of ray. The inferomarginal spines have a hyaline tip and are slen- 

 derer and shorter than the superomarginal. Each series occupies the 

 same relative position on plate as in crispatus. 



Actinal interradial areas smaller than in normal crispatus. The 

 plates being smaller, usually more numerous, and the fasciolar spine- 

 lets more delicate. In either double series nearest the interradial line 

 there are 16 to 23 plates (8 to 12 in a single series). In crispatus, 

 16 plates is usually the maximum number. 



Adambulacral plates with the aboral half of the furrow margin 

 excavated to receive the tube foot, the adoral half being prominent 

 and angular with three tapering sharp spinules, the median the long- 

 est, proximally equaling width of plate, distally exceedinjj width. 



