160 THE ECHINODERMS OF TORRES STRAIT. 
Synapta maculata. 
Holothuria maculata Chamisso and Eysenhardt. 1821. Nov. Act. Akad. Germ., 10, p. 352. 
Synapta maculata Jiiger. 1833. De Holoth., p. 15.—H. L. Clark. 1908. Apod. Hol., p. 78, pl. i; pl. iv, figs. 
17-19, 26. 
This giant synaptid, common and widely distributed from the eastern coast of Africa 
to the Society Islands, reaching southern Japan (Riu Kiu Islands) on the north and Queens- 
land on the south, was not rare on the southeastern reef-flat at Mer, where specimens 3 feet 
long or more were occasionally seen. At Papeete, Tahiti, no specimens were found on the 
reef, but along shore, in front of the town, several were seen. One of these measured about 
125 em. in length and 35 to 40 mm. in diameter. It was dark gray, longitudinally striped 
with deep brown. The other specimens were lighter, more yellow-brown, with dark stripes. 
Like all synaptids, maculata is very sluggish in all its movements, except the ceaseless 
bending and twisting of the tentacles. It frequently occurs unsheltered on grassy bottoms, 
but it is more commonly found, often several individuals together, under rock fragments 
on the reef-flat. There is considerable diversity of color and in life some specimens show 
more or less yellow. The calcareous particles are very constant and very distinctive. 
The published figures of the anchors are somewhat misleading, for the vertex is usually 
smooth and rounded, and when the minute knobs are present on either side they are so 
very small that they do not affect the contour of the curve. 
Synaptula indivisa. 
Synapta indivisa Semper. 1868. Holothurien, p. 13, pl. iv, fig. 1. 
Synaptula indivisa H. L. Clark. 1908. Apod. Hol., p. 83. 
Semon secured near Thursday Island a single synaptid which Sluiter (1894) refers to 
this little-known species, but unfortunately he gives no data in regard to it. It seems 
to me quite possible that indivisa is only the young of nigra, as is suggested by the 
calcareous particles. 
Synaptula nigra. 
Synapta nigra Semper. 1868. Holothurien, p. 12, pl. iv, fig. 9. 
Synaptula nigra H. L. Clark. 1908. Apod. Hol., p. 81. 
This species was originally found in the Philippines, and subsequently on the shores 
of the Red Sea. Lampert (1885) reports it from Australia, but with no definite locality. 
On the southeastern reef-flat at Mer we found half a dozen individuals. They were uni- 
formly purplish-brown, darkest above. 
Synaptula recta. 
Synapta recta Semper. 1868. Holothurien, p. 14, pl. iv, figs. 2, 3. 
Synaptula recta H. L. Clark. 1908. Apod. Hol., p. 84. 
On September 13, 1918, we found this species common on the sandflat southwest of 
Friday Island, where we took nine specimens 200 to 300 mm. long and 8 to 12 mm. in 
diameter. Eight of them were brown, more or less mottled or variegated with whitish; 
some individuals had so little mottling they were almost uniformly deep brown, while 
others had the white markings very abundant. One specimen was markedly different 
from the others and was supposed to be a different species, until critically examined in 
the laboratory. It was whitish, mottled with purple; on the ventral surface, posteriorly, 
the purple mottlings form a double stripe along each longitudinal muscle; anteriorly the 
purple pigment is more abundant and the general effect is a purple ground-color with 
transverse blotches of white. We did not find recta at Mer, but it is known from China 
Strait, eastern New Guinea, from many stations in the East Indian region, from Ceylon, 
and from the Gulf of Aden. There is a fine large specimen in the Museum of Comparative 
Zoology collection from Ponape, Caroline Islands. 
