24 BULLETIN 82, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM VOLDMB 1 



KEY TO THE SPECIES OF APOROMETRA 



o'. Longest cirrus segments up to half again as long as broad (Port Phillip, Victoria). 



wilsoni (p. 28) 



a'. Longest cirrus segments not longer than broad. 



6'. Cirri with 25-35 (usually 28-30) segments, of which most are about as long as broad (New South 



Wales; 40 meters) -- paedophora (p. 24) 



b*. Cirri with 39-61 (usually 40-50) segments, of which the longest are from half again to twice as 

 broad as long (Koombana Bay to Fremantle, Western Australia; 9-18 meters). 



occidentalis (p. 32) 



APOBOMETBA PAEDOPHORA (U. L. CTark) 



[see vol. 1, pt. 2, fig. 939 (p. 549), and pi. 37, figs. 1228-1230] 



Himeromelra paedophora H. L. Clark, Mem. Australian Mus., vol. 4, 1909, p. 524 (description and 

 comparisons; description of the pentacrinoid young; discussion; off Manning river, New Sout^" 

 Wales, 22 fathoms), pi. 47, figs. 4-10.— A. H. Clark, Mem. Australian Mus., vol. 4, 1911, p. 78^ 

 (in synonymy of Plilomelra mullerf), p. 785 (young of Plilomelra mulleri; description and discus- 

 sion); in Michaelsen and Ilartmeycr, Die Fauna Siidwest-Australiens, vol. 3, Lief. 13, Crinoidea, 

 1911, p. 462 (young of Pliloinetra mulleri; discussion, and comparison with similar young of 

 P. macronema [ = A. wilsoni] here described); Crinoids of the Indian Ocean, 1912, p. 189 (in 

 synonymy of Plilomelra mulleri). — H. L. Clark, Biol. Results Fishing Exper. F.I.S. Endeavour, 

 1909-14, vol. 4, pt. 1, 1916, p. 24 (possibly the same as Antedon wilsoni; perfectly sure it is not a 

 Plilomelra and has no near relationship with that genus). — Gisl£n, Zool. Bidrag Uppsala, vol. 9, 

 1924, p. 281, footnote 1. 



Anledon wilsoni (part) A. H. Clark, Mem. AustraUan Mus., vol. 4, 1911, p. 715 (young of Plilomelra 

 macronema or of P. mulleri [ = australis]), p. 718 (records). — H. L. Clark, Biol. Results Fishing 

 Eyper. F.LS. Endeavour, 1909-14, vol. 4, pt. 1, 1916, p. 24 (possible that this is the same as 

 Himeromelra paedophora; perfectly sure the latter is not a Plilomelra and has no near relationship 

 with that genus). 



Plilomelra mulleri (part) A. H. Clark, Mem. Australian Mus., vol. 4, 1911, p. 783 {Himeromelra 

 paedophora the young of this species), p. 786 (description and discussion). 



Plilomelra mulleri (part) A. H. Clark in Michaelsen and Hartmeyer, Die Fauna Sudwest-Australiens, 

 vol. 3, Lief. 13, Crinoidea, 1911, p. 462 (Himeromelra paedophora the young of this species); 

 Crinoids of the Indian Ocean, 1912, p. 189 (Himeromelra paedophora in synonymy) ; U.S. Nat. 

 Mus. Bull. 82, vol. 1, pt. 1, 1915, figs. 90, 91, p. 149.— Mortensen, Studies in the development 

 of crinoids, 1920, p. 4 (young carried on the cirri [error for pinnules]). 



Himeromelra paedophora Mortensen, Studies in the development of crinoids, 1920, p. 60, footnote 39 

 (possible care of brood). 



Aporomelra paedophora H. L. Clark, Mem. Mus. Comp. Zool., vol. 55, 1938, p. 42 (in key); 

 Echinoderm fauna of AustraUa, 1946, p. 58 (in key), p. 59 (still only a single record from New 

 South Wales). 



Diagnostic Jeatures. — Most of the ciiTus segments are about as long as broad. 

 The arms are about 20 mm. long, and the cirri are VII-IX, 25-35 (usually 28-30). 



Description.— The centrodoi-sal is thick-discoidal, with the cirrus sockets in a 

 single marginal row. 



The cirii are \ai-IX, 25-30. The first two segments are about t^^^ce as broad as 

 long, the third is somewhat longer, and the fourth and follo^ving are about as long as 

 broad. The segments in the outer half of the cirri have the pro.ximal edge of the dorsal 

 half cut a^yay and are somewhat compressed dorsally, being almost carinate on some 

 of the cirn. The penultimate segment bears a prominent opposing spine which is 

 termmally situated and reaches in height about half the ^^-idth of the segment bearing 

 It. The cirn are comparatively thick at the base and taper graduaUy until about the 

 fourth segment after which they remain of the same width. 



The ends of the basal rays are visible as slight tubercles in the angles of the calyx. 



