NO. 1944. NEW OENERA AND SPEC f EH OF STARFISHES— FISHER. 645 



minal plate large, with 5 heavy spines; inferomarginals with 2 stout 

 spines and a few pedicellariae; abactinal plates smooth, bordered by 

 a single series of fiat, flush granules, the 5 primary radials and 1 or 2 

 other radials, as well as the central plate, with a heavy upright blunt 

 spine, the remaining median radial plates and most of the larger 

 plates of central part of disk with a central tubercular granule; 

 numerous very broadly spatulate, foliaceous pediceDariae; actinal 

 intermediate plates each with a heavy blunt spine (sometimes 2) 

 and a broadly spatulate intrenched pedicellaria; adambulacral plates 

 with a palmate furrow series of 5 to 7 unequal, rather slender, more 

 or less compressed spines, and distally 1, proximally 2, heavy sub- 

 ambulacral spines, resembling those of actinal intermediate plates. 



Type.— Cat. No. 30557, U.S.N.M. 



Type-locality. — Station 5280, between Lubang and Luzon, south of 

 Manila Bay, 193 fathoms, gray sand; bottom temperature, 49.6° F. 



ASTROTHAUMA, ne^^r genus. 



Differing from Calliaster Gray in having the last superomarginal 

 plate much enlarged and in having the marginal and actinal spines 

 with a roughened or thorny surface; plates smooth, bordered by a 

 single series of granules, and with small two-jawed upright pedicel- 

 larise; marginal and actinal plates with heavy, thorny, or roughened 

 spines; prominent upright smooth or slightly eroded spines on center 

 of disk and basal portion of ray; furrow spines numerous, small, in 

 a close comb; subambulacral spines 2 or 3, large, rough, tapering, 

 and sharp. 



Type of the genus, — Astrothauma euphylacteum , new species. 



ASTROTHAUMA EUPHYLACTEUM, new species. 



Rays 5. R = 86 mm., r = 24 mm., R = 3.5 + r; breadth of ray at 

 base, 27 mm.; thickness of disk at interradius, 8.5 mm. Disk fairly 

 large; rays gradually tapering, rigid, blunt; abactinal plates smooth, 

 bordered by a single series of granules ; center of disk and proximal 

 third of radial series with prominent, stout, sharp, upright spines 

 and a few scattered small two-jawed pediceUariaB; superomarginals 

 with the distal-most plate much enlarged and each with 2 or 3, 

 abnormally as many as 5, prominent, sharp spines; inferomargmals 

 with proximally 6 to 8 unequal, tapering, sharp, roughened, or 

 thorny spines, becoming reduced to 4 at middle of series, then 3, 

 and finally to 1 or 2 at end; actinal intermediate plates usually with 

 a sharp thorny spine, at the base of which is a small blunt spatulate 

 pedicellaria with 2 swollen jaws; adambulacral plates with 12 to 17 

 small compressed furrow spines in a close comb, and 2 or 3 sharp, 

 h^avy, roughened, subambulacral spines in an oblique series. 



Type.— C&i. No. 30558, U.S.N.M. 



