STABPISHES OF THE PHILIPPINE SEAS. 419 



ranged parallel to the others, increasing in length from the outer to 

 the inner. 



Incipient pedicellariae are present on the abactinal surface. These 

 consist of 2 spinelets stouter than the rest, which meet over the hol- 

 low of a strongly crescentic plate, the spines standing on the concave 

 edge of the plate near either end. They are thus either over or close 

 to the papula. Pedicellariae are rare in this family. 



Madreporic body small and on account of the encroachment of 3 

 plates is trilobate. It is situated about one-third r from center. 



Type.— Cfit. No. 32643, U.S.N.M. 



Type-locality. — Station 5482, off Cabugan Grande Island, Surigao 

 Strait, east of Leyte, 67 fathoms, broken shells, stones, green mud. 



Distribution. — Known only from type-locality. 



Remarks. — The classification of this species has given considerable 

 trouble. It resembles both Parasterina, and Asterinopsis. I have 

 placed it in the latter group because the papulae extend nearly to the 

 margin and there is no sharply defined radial area of irregular abac- 

 tinal plates. The actinal intermediate spinelets are in fascicles, and 

 the adambulacral armature is sufficiently near that of Asterinopsis 

 penicillaris in plan, although the spinelets are more numerous in 

 pedicellaris. There are, however, very few secondary abactinal os- 

 sicles, and there are small spiniform pedicellariae present. The gap 

 between Asterinopsis and Paranepanthia is not great. 



Although this species resembles Nepanthia hrachiata Koehler, I 

 think that species is nearer platydisca and a Paranepanthia. 



Genus PARANEPANTHIA Fisher. 



Paranepanthia Fishee, 1917e, p. 172. Type, Nepanthia platydisca Fisher. 



Diagnosis. — Similar to Asterina in form, but with the adambulacral 

 armature of Nepanthia; actinal intermediate plates in transverse 

 series, and bearing a tuft of spinelets which becomes compressed and 

 pectinate toward the margin of disk ; bases of these spinelets webbed ; 

 abactinal plates imbricated, divided into 2 areas: On center of disk 

 and along a radial band they are rather crescentic with a few smaller 

 plates intermingled (usually placed adorad to the hollow of the cres- 

 cent) ; while between this area and the ambitus the plates lack the 

 crescentic form and are arranged in transverse series. Superficially 

 the plates resemble low parapaxillae, as they bear truncate groups of 

 slender spinelets. 



Remarks. — This genus is distinguished from Asterina, in the wider 

 sense, by the sharp differentiation of the plates of the center of disk 

 and radial areas from those of the lateral portion of the abactinal 

 surface ; by having an adambulacral armature of the Nepanthia type, 

 though less extreme than that of mxLCulata\ and by the arrangement 



