THE APODOXJS HOLOTHXJRIANS 77 



POLYPLECTANA KEFEBSTEINII. 



Plate IV, Figs. 20-22. 



Synapta l-efersteinii Selenka, 1867, p. 360. Calcareous ring and jjarticles, pi. xx, 



figs. 120-121. 

 Synapta lalUpeplos Sluiter, 1888, p. 217. Calcareous ring and particles, pi. ii, figs. 



41-43. 

 Chondroclcea l-efersteinii Ostergren, 18986. 

 Chondroclcea L-allipeplos Ostergren, 18986. 

 Synapiula Irfersteinii Fisher, 1907. 



Length. — 250-450 mm., with diameter 10-15 mm. 



Color. — Purplish, reddish brown, or dark brown, darker above than be- 

 neatli, and more or less speckled and spotted with lighter; the spots are pi'ob- 

 ably due to the heaps of miliary granules. In life the color is brownish-green 

 (Fisher). 



Distribution. — Eeported from Kosseir, Red Sea (Lampert) ; Amboina, 

 Moluccas (Ludwig, Sluiter); Batavia, Java (Sluiter); Ternate (v. Marenzel- 

 ler) ; Rotuma (Bedford); Samoa (Semper); and Hawaii (Selenka, Fisher). 

 Probably occurring, like the preceding genus, throughout the Indo-Pacific region. 



Remarks. — Nothing whatever is recorded concerning the habits of this 

 species, except that Sluiter ( '88) says of the specimen which he described as 

 Icallipeplos that it did not hide imder stones, but ei'ept about on the corals. 

 I see no reason to doubt that this individual was a large example of Jcefer- 

 steinii, in which the tentacles were still incompletely developed. Sluiter 's de- 

 scription of the calcareous ring would indicate a unique condition for a ma- 

 ture Synaptid with so many tentacles; but, after comparing his figure with 

 Selenka 's, I am inclined to think there is a possible mistake in his interpre- 

 tation of the condition he found, or possibly in adults of kefersteinii the inter- 

 radial pieces become completely merged together, each quintet becoming a 

 single i^iece. Sluiter 's specimen was much larger than any other that has been 

 recorded and the color was somewhat different, but these differences cannot 

 carry much weight. Semper ('68) says kefersteinii is common at Samoa, and it 

 would seem to be common also at Amboina. The specimens from the latter 

 island examined by Ludwig ('88) showed great diversity in the number of tenta- 

 cles; of 11 specimens, 1 had only 15, 6 had 20, 1 had 22, 2 had 26, and 1 had 

 27. The 8 examined by Sluiter ('94) were remarkable for the imperfect con- 

 dition of the calcareous particles, but he does not refer to the number of tenta- 

 cles ; presumably, therefore, they had 25 each, as did those from Rotuma, 

 Kosseir, Samoa, and Hawaii. 



