.so. J944. NEW GENERA AND SPECIES OF STARFISHES— FISHER. 617 



lacral furrow spines. ^==61 mm., r=14 mm., R = 4.3 r; breadth of 

 ray at base, about 16 mm. 



Type.— Cut. No. 30525, U.S.N.M. 



Type-locality .—Station 5424, Sulu Sea, near Cagayanes Islands, 340 

 fathoms, coral sand; bottom temperature, 50.4° F. 



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 adambulacral plates, 

 the longer and more numerous marginal mouth spines, the proximal 

 subambulacrals in 2 series, and the specialized abactinal pedicellarise. 



PERSEPHONASTER CEDIPLAX, new species. 



Marginal plates small and tumid, the superomarginals bearing a 

 central small spine, or distally 2; the inferomarginals 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, inferomarginal, abactinal, 

 actinal intermediate, and subambulacral fasciculate pedicellarise ; 

 furrow spines 6 or 7, rather long, slender, compressed; subambulacral 

 spines 8 to 12, slender and short. Rays long, of medium width, 

 thin, and with attenuate extremity. R = 95mm,, r = 20 mm., R = 

 4.75 r; breadth of ray at base, 22 mm.; breadth at two-thirds of r, 

 8 mm. 



Type.— Cat. No. 30526, U.S.N.M. 



Type-locality.- — Station 5123, east coast of Mindoro, 220 to 283 

 fathoms, green mud. 



The superomarginals, 40 in number, are quite small, and form a 

 narrow border to the paxiilar area, the inferomarginals extending 

 laterally beyond them and forming a scalloped margin to ray. In 

 the interbrachial angle the plates are wider than long, then they 

 become square, and beyond the first third of the ray the length 

 gradually increases over the width, as the plates become smaller and 

 smaller. The plates are tumid, the apex of the tumidity bearing a 

 short conical spine and moving from the middle of the plate (at base 

 of ray) to a little distad of the middle. On the outer fourth of the 

 ray the plates are not tumid and have 2 or 3 spines in a transverse 

 series. The plates are covered with a fine nap of very delicate 

 spinelets, becoming appressed around the base of the spine, and most 

 of them have 1 or 2 small fasciculate pedicellarise near the inner edge. 

 Inferomarginals on first third of ray equal in width to 1^ the length; 

 at middle of ray the width only slightly exceeds the length. From 

 this point the ray becomes rapidly very attenuate, and the plates 

 are longer than wide, most of the width being occupied by the actinal 

 face, the lateral facet being low, tumid, and armed with a short 

 oblique comb of 3, distally often 2, slender, tapering, sharp, appressed 



