STARFISHES OF THE PHILIPPINE SEAS. 127 



1 



bear fasciculate pedicellariae. These are present in tnulticinctus^ but 

 are much smaller, as they never occupy the whole plate. The en- 

 larged spinules are larger in vmlticinctus. 



Mouth plates with a conspicuous lateral fan of 5 to 7 marginal 

 spines, nearly as long as the first adambulacral furrow spines, and 

 the usual oblique double series of about 10 spinelets between the base 

 of tooth and peristome. The superficial spines are in 2 series on 

 each plate, and the marginal series is carried to the outer end of plate 

 by several additional small spinelets. The teeth are much as in sev- 

 eral other species, rather long, stout, slightly swollen, with a blunt 

 tijo. In niulticinctus the lateral marginal comb is much less con- 

 spicuous. 



Type.—G^it. No. 30525, U.S.N.M. 



Type-locality. — Station 5424, Sulu Sea, near Cagayanes Islands, 

 340 fathoms, coral sand, bottom temperature 50.4° F. ; 1 specimen. 



Remarks. — This species is similar, also, to P. tenuis., but differs in 

 the presence of the conspicuous though small superomarginal spine, 

 the wider inferomarginals. the much less compressed first adambu- 

 lacral plates, the longer and more numerous marginal mouth spines, 

 the proximal subambulacrals in 2 series, and the specialized abactinal 

 pedicellariae. From suluensis, luzonicus differs in having con- 

 spicuously wider marginal plates, no specialized abactinal paxillae, 

 and in lacking all but rudiments of the actinal inf eromarginal spines 

 and the second lateral comb. P. anchistus which, like suluensis., lacks 

 the actinal inferomarginal spines, differs in having wider rays, more 

 depressed superomarginals, no specialized abactinal paxillae, usually 

 more numerous superomarginal spines, longer paxillar spinelets, a 

 more extensive series of actinal intermediate plates. The oral and 

 adambulacral armature is much alike in both species, but the dis- 

 tinctly broader rays and more depressed marginals of anchistus will 

 serve to separate it at once. It is probable that suluensis is rather 

 closely related to anchistus^ as well as to multicinctus, although the 

 curious pedicellariae are lacking in anchistus, the less specialized 

 paxillar type only being present. 



PERSEPHONASTER OEDIPLAX Fisher. 



Plate 22, figs. 3, 4 ; plate 23, fig. 4 ; plate 31, figs. 2, 3 ; plate 38, figs. 2, 2a-fZ. 

 Persephonaster oediplax Fishee, 1913a, p. 617. 



Diagnosis. — Marginal plates small and tumid, the superomarginals 

 bearing a central or subcentral small spine, or distally 2 ; the infero- 

 marginals extending laterally slightly beyond superomarginals, the 

 tumid outer end bearing a narrow comb of 3 or 2 slender appressed 

 spines; no actinal inferomarginal spines; superomarginal, infero- 

 marginal, abactinal, actinal intermediate, and subambulacral fasci- 



