﻿292 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ]VrUSEUM vol. 102 



the following regularly decreasing in length to that just beyond the 

 oral shield, which is merely a dot. 



The oral shields are renif orm, nearly twice as broad as long. The 

 adoral shields are broad, outwardly adjoining the first under arm 

 plates ; they do not quite meet beneath the oral shields. The jaw plates 

 are narrow with parallel sides, so that there is a long triangle of 

 membrane between them. There are four mouth papillae. The outer- 

 most is narrow, conical, and sharply pointed. The next is conical, but 

 stouter. The third is broader with almost or quite parallel sides and 

 a broad chisellike tip. The innermost is broadly fan shaped with a 

 curved and finely serrate outer edge and resembles the teeth. 



The under arm plates are large and well developed with a sharp 

 angle proximally and a deep distal notch ; at the arm bases they are 

 almost in contact ; distally they become narrower and somewhat more 

 separated, and the distal notch becomes deeper. At the arm tips they 

 are small and widely separated, the side arm plates almost meeting 

 between them. 



The side arm plates beyond the disk bear four, rarely five, subequal 

 spines of which the uppermost is slightly longer and considerably 

 stouter than the others, and the two lowest are the most slender. 

 Toward the arm tips the number of spines becomes reduced to three, 

 and the upper transforms into a stout hook with three or four teeth. 

 Later the middle spine also becomes hooklike. At the end of the arms 

 there are only two spines, both in the form of hooks. 



The disk is rather dark brown with numerous white specks and 

 conspicuous dull yellow radial shields. The arms and the oral surface 

 are brownish yellow, with a conspicuous row of short black lines along 

 the genital slits. 



Localitij.—B\k\m. Atoll; off Enyu Pass, 700-725 feet; August 22, 

 1947. One specimen, the type, U.S.N.M. No. E. 7367. 



Family OPHIACTIDAE 

 Genus OPHIACTIS Lutken 



OPHIACTIS SAVIGNYI (Muller and Troschel) 



OpMolepis savignyi Mulleb and Teoschel, System der Asteriden, p. 95, Species 

 12, 1842 (Egypt). 



Localities. — Eniwetok Atoll; in the lagoon, approximately 5 miles 

 north of the anchorage, about 3 miles west of Bogen Island ; 90-120 

 feet; Taylor. Five specimens, U.S.N.M. No. E. 7250. 



Rongerik Atoll ; Bock Island ; Bayer and Zimmerman, August 19, 

 1947. One specimen, U.S.N.M. No. E. 7252. 



Rongerik Atoll; Latoback Island, lagoon reef, from a sponge; 

 Bayer and Zimmerman, August 21, 1947. Twenty-one specimens, 

 U.S.N.M. No. E. 7251. 



