STARFISHES OF THE PHILIPPINE SEAS. 257 



Genus CERAMASTER (Verrili). 



Ceramaster Verrill (Sec. C of Tosla), 1899, p. 161. Type, Astcrias 

 gramilaris Retz. — Fisher, 1911f?, p. 204. 



CERAMASTER SMITHI Fisher. 



Plate 57, fig. 1 ; plate 58, fig. 2 ; plate 91, fig. 7. 

 Ceramaster smithi Fisher, 1913a, p. 640. 



Diagnosis. — In general appearance closely resembling C. clarki 

 Fisher, but differing in having less elevated abactinal plates, with 

 shorter and differently formed basal lobes ; more numerous granules, 

 especially on center of tabulum; smaller pedicellariae ; coarser and 

 characteristically formed subambulacral spines. General form arcu- 

 ately pentagonal, produced at the corners into short, blunt rays ; body 

 thin ; margins thin, the plates being small as in G. clarki; abactinal 

 plates very short-lobed and with hexagonal crowns on papular areas, 

 composed of 10 to 18 central and 15 to 22 peripheral, subequal, 

 slightly spaced granules, and oftenasmall,spatulate, two- jawed pedi- 

 cellaria ; superomarginals longer than wide and with slightly spaced, 

 flat granules, except the last few plates, which are wider than long 

 and have a bare area ; adambulacral plates with 4 or 5 coarse furrow 

 spines and 3 coarser truncate subambulacral spines, the tips truncate 

 and curiously etched out, pitted, and wrinkled, the grooving extend- 

 ing down the outer side; oral spines, 8 or 9. E=60 mm., r=31 mm., 

 E= nearly 2 r. 



Description. — Abactinal plates lower than in C. clarhi^ with 

 broader tabula in proportion to height, and with more numerous 

 granules, especially on central part of tabulum. The larger radial 

 plates have 15 to 22 peripheral, flattened granules, which overhang 

 the edge of tabulum and have their distal margin square-cut or 

 slightly rounded, or at the corners of the plate conforming to the 

 hexagonal form of the crown. The central granules, 10 to 18 on the 

 larger plates, are circular, flattened, and slightly spaced, but nearly 

 uniform in size and not unequal as in clarki nor often markedly 

 smaller than the peripheral. Many of the plates have a two- jawed, 

 sliglitly spatulate, slender jDedicellaria shaped much as in C. clarki^ 

 but smaller. The median radial plates are the largest, the tabulum 

 being about one-third to three-foiu"ths as high as wide, occasionally 

 slight!}^ more on a small radial plate. The plates decrease in size 

 very gradually toward the small interradial areas, which are paved 

 with small squarish or roundish plates separated by narrow, shallow 

 channels. Pedicellariae are scattered also over the interradial areas. 

 The plates of center of disk are smaller than those of radial area,, 

 less regular, and a trifle lower. 



