STARFISHES OF THE PHILIPPINE SEAS. 139 



smaller spines, nearer the size of the nearest marginals. The inner 

 superficial spines of evorus are smaller than those of craspedotiis^ 

 there being but 2 enlarged teeth at each mouth angle, while in cras- 

 "pedotus there appears to be a double phalanx of numerous teeth. 



Actinal interradial areas small, the distance between the mouth 

 plates and inferomarginals being less than width of the latter. No 

 odd interradial series of actinal intermediate plates. A single series 

 of rudimentary plates extends to the sixth inferomarginal or about 

 one-fourth the length of ray measured along side, and a second 

 series does not go beyond the second. The outermost plates are 

 separated one from another. There are only 3 plates in an inter- 

 radial direction between the mouth plates and first inferomarginals. 

 Externally the plates are convex, roundish, or elliptical, with indi- 

 cations of 4 or 5 sides, and are armed with spaced delicate spinules 

 similar to those of the inferomarginals; most of the plates nearest 

 furrow bear a prominent central fasciculate pedicellaria. 



Madreporic body very small, situated its own diameter from mar- 

 ginal plates, with few deep striae (deeper than in craspedotus) 

 radiating from an eccentric point near the adcentral side. Anal 

 aperture minute. 



Type.— C?it. No. 30529, U.S.N.M. 



Type-locality. — Station 5476, off extreme southeastern end of 

 Luzon (vicinity of San Bernardino Strait), 270 fathoms, fine sand, 

 bottom temperature 48.3° F. 



Distribution. — Known only from the type-locality. 



Remarks. — This species preserves the generic facies, with the ex- 

 ception of the superomarginal plates which are much larger than in 

 the only other known species, T. craspedotus from the Hawaiian 

 Islands. Further differences are the smaller paxillae, the double 

 comb of lateral spines of the proximal inferomarginals, the addi- 

 tional actinal members of the primary comb, fewer adambulacral 

 spines, and higher subambulacral pedicellariae, fewer enlarged teeth, 

 and smaller madreporic body. The actinal interradial areas are a 

 little smaller, and the inferomarginals a little wider. T. craspedotus.^ 

 as well as evorus., has both superomarginal and inferomarginal fas- 

 ciculate pedicellariae, though very inconspicuous. The superomar- 

 ginal spinelets of evorus are shorter and coarser on the central part 

 of the plate, the superomarginal spine larger, and the inferomar- 

 ginal spinelets a trifle finer and more spaced than in craspedotus. 

 Owing to the smaller size, in craspedotus., of the distal superomargi- 

 nals, the lateral spines encroach more upon the abactinal surface. 



Although Tritonaster is near Persephorumter it differs in having 

 the abactinal plates a reduced form of paxilla, in having the papulae 

 confined to a limited area around the borders of the paxillar space, 

 leaving much of the disk and a conspicuous radial band entirely 



