STAKFISHES OF THE PHILIPPINE SEAS. 235 



meeting those opposite, and forming an incipient fasciolate pedicel- 

 laria. T^A^o or three additional spines form an intermediate series 

 near the middle of plate. About 6 small spines stand on the margin 

 adjacent to first adambnlacral, and form an incipient fasciolate pedi- 

 cellaria with the adjacent adambnlacral spines. 



Madreporic body small, with coarse ridges and overhung by 3 to 

 5 paxillae. It is situated about halfway between center and imier 

 margin of superomarginal plates. 



Gonads well developed, in a single tuft, on either side of inter- 

 brachial septum near margin. 



Tyfe.—Q2X. No. 30537, U.S.N.M. 



Type-locality. — Station 5289, Verde Island Passage, north coast of 

 Mindoro, 172 fathoms, broken shells, sand; 7 specimens. 



Distribution. — Known only from Verde Island Passage, between 

 Luzon and Mindoro, 172 to 198 fathoms. 



Specitnens examined. — Eight; 7 from type-locality and 1 from 

 station 5297, Verde Island Passage, off Batangas Bay, Luzon, 198 

 fathoms, mud. sand. 



Remarks. — This species is readily distinguished from P. ctenipes 

 hypacantJius by the shorter, stouter rays; narrower radial plates of 

 the ray ; by the higher plates of the extra-papular areas, and by the 

 peripheral granules of the same being uniform with those of the 

 papular areas ; by the slightly tumid marginals with their compactly 

 placed granules; by the fewer and more restricted inferomarginal 

 spinules, absence of actinal intermediate spines, and interadambulac- 

 ral fasciolar pedicellariae (except on a few proximal plates). The 

 superomarginals and interbrachial inferomarginals are broader in 

 P. stenostichus.) and the granulation throughout much more compact. 



The very narrow radial series of plates on the ray is one of the 

 most striking features of this species. P. formosus Verrill has lower 

 and smaller abactinal plates with much fewer and coarser granules, 

 especially in the peripheral series, and the marginal granules are 

 fewer, coarser, and less compact. The same differences will separate 

 P. subtilis Perrier. P. strlctus and P. elongatus Perrier are closely 

 related to P. suhtilus. P. cylindratus Sladen has narrow radial 

 plates on the ray, but in proportion to the breadth of the superomar- 

 ginals they are wider than in stenostickus. In cylindratus the 

 adambulacral furrow margin is less strongly angular, the special 

 subambulacral spine or spines much smaller and nearer the furrow, 

 and the inferomarginal spines more numerous. 



Genus PERISSOGONASTER Fisher. 



Perissogonastcr Fisher, 1913a, p. 628. Type, P. hhsignis Fisher. 

 Diagnosis. — Differing from Paragonaster in having an odd inter- 

 radial marginal in both series, and an incomplete odd interradial 



