HOLOTHURTOIDEA OF THE INDIAN OCEAN. 73 



HoLOTHURiA VAGABUNDA, Seleiika. 

 (Plate X., fig. 14.) 



Stichopus {Gi/mnochirota) leucospilota, Brandt 1835 (S). 



Holothuria vagahunda, Selenka 1867 (37) ; Semper 1868 (38) ; 

 Ludwig 1875 (23), 1882 (26), 1883 (27), 1887 (29), 

 1888 (30), 1881 (25), 1899 (32) ; Lampert 1885 (19) ; 

 Theel 1886 (42) ; Bell 1889 (7) ; Koehler 1895 (15), 

 (16) ; Whitelegge 1896 (45) ; Bedford 1898 (2), 1902 

 (3) ; Sluiter 1901 (41) ; Pearson 1903 (33), 1910 (34) ; 

 Koningsberger 1904 (18) ; Fisher 1907 (11) ; Koehler 

 & Vaney 1908 (17). 



Numerous spechnens from most of the collections under 

 examination. 



A very common littoral species of the Indo-Pacific littoral 

 waters. 



External Characters. — The body is dark brown, the ambu- 

 lacral appendages black tipped with white, and the tentacles 

 are greenish-brown or dark brown. Ambulacral appendages 

 are papillae on the bivium and pedicels on the trivium. Some 

 of the earlier writers state that true pedicels only are present 

 on the bivium. The dorsal appendages, although elongated, 

 have no sucking discs, and may therefore be regarded as 

 papillae. The long fine papillae are numerous and can be 

 extended to a length of 7 mm. They are tipped with white 

 and show no arrangement with rows. Owing to their length 

 they give the living specimen a somewhat ragged ajopearance. 

 The pedicels of the trivium are still more numerous, but shoAV 

 no arrangement into rows. They are terminated by white 

 sucking discs. Twenty tentacles are present, surrounded by a 

 rim of black papillae. The anus is round. Li\ang specimens 

 may measure up to 380 mm. in length and 65 mm. in Avidth. 



Internal Structure. — The calcareous ring is normal. Usually 

 there is one Polian vesicle and one stone canal present. The 

 respiratory trees are well developed. Cuvierian organs are 

 present, and in the living specimen have a purplish colour. 



Deposits consist of tables and buttons. The tables have a 

 disc 50 ^ in diameter. In young specimens the disc is 



l> 6(5)13 



