26 



J.I.M. CROSSLAND AND A.R.G. PRICE 



this species, and extends its range west into the Indian Ocean from 

 Indonesia. 



10. Comanthus gisleni Rowe, Hoggett, Birtles and Vail, 

 1986. 



See. Rowe, Hoggett, Birtles and Vail, 1986: 219. 



Material. NHM - 810124A/1 (1), 810204A/3 (1),810430A/14 

 (1), 810430A/22a (3), 810504B/1 (1); WAM - 810124A/1 (1), 

 810124A/6 (1), 810204A/2 (1), 810425F/1 (1), 810430A/15 (1); 

 SM-810422D/5 (1), 810430A/4 (1), 810430A/14 (1), 810504A/1 

 (1). 



COLLECTION SITES. Galle and Kalpitiya, Sri Lanka; Klah, Sabang 

 Bay, Ug Bau, Ug Seukundo and Rubiah, Pula We, Sumatra. 



Habitats and depth range. Subtidal rock, coral rubble, coral 

 reef, soft coral; 2-20m. 



Comment. All these specimens represent extension of the range 

 of this species into the northern Indian Ocean. It has been recorded 

 from the coast of Western Australia, but otherwise only from the 

 Pacific Ocean coasts and islands, Thailand, Papua New Guinea and 

 Japan (Rowe et al, 1986: 221; Messing, 1994). 



11. Comanthus mirabilis Rowe, Hoggett, Birtles and Vail, 

 1986. 



See. Rowe, Hoggett, Birtles and Vail, 1986: 226. 



Material. NHM-810501F/2(1);WAM-810427C/1 (1);SM- 

 810430A/5 (1). 



COLLECTION SITES. Ug Bau and Ug Seukundo, Pula We, Sumatra. 



Habitats and depth range. Subtidal rock/coral, coral reef; 5- 

 30m. 



COMMENT. The WAM specimen has 45 arms. The IIIBr series are 

 mostly 2; where an arm has broken off and regenerated there is 

 usually another devision series and extra arms, otherwise division 

 series beyond IIIBr are randomly distributed. Most pinnules beyond 

 P, are broken, so comb distribution further out cannot be ascer- 

 tained. 



12. Comanthus parvicirrus (Muller, 1841) 



See. Rowe, Hoggett, Birtles and Vail, 1986:211; Hoggett and 

 Rowe, 1986: 125. 



Material. NHM-810123A/1(1),810123B/2(1),810203A/1(1 

 of 3), 810206A/1 (1), 810212A/2 (1), 810420A/1 (1), 810425F/1 

 (1), 810427C/2 (1 of 3), 810428C/2 (1); WAM - 810126B/5 

 (1),810124A/6(1);810203A/1 (1 of 3), 810204A/2 (1), 810204A/6 

 (l),810425F/3(l),810427C/2(lof3),810428C/5(l),810430A20a 

 (1); SM - 810125A/2 (1), 810126B/6 (1), 810203A/1 (1 of 3), 

 810204A/5 (1), 810204A/7 (1), 8 10425 A/1 8d (1), 810427C/2 (1 of 

 3), 810430A/20c (1), 810430A/21a (1), 810501E/10 (1). 



COLLECTION SITES. Galle, Hikkaduwa, Kandakkuliya, Kalpitiya, 

 Negombo and Unawatuna, Sri Lanka; Klah, Sabang Bay, Ug Murung, 

 Ug Bau, and Ug Seukundo, Pula We, Sumatra. 



Habitats and depth range. Subtidal rock/coral, coral reef; 2- 

 20m. 



COMMENT. The specimens from Sri Lanka may constitute a new 

 record for C. parvicirrus as it is now defined (Rowe et al., 1986), 



depending on the correctness of H.L. Clark's (1915) identification 

 of a specimen from the region. 



13. Comanthus suavia Rowe, Hoggett, Birtles and Vail, 

 1986. 



SEE. Rowe, Hoggett, Birtles and Vail 1986: 222. 



Material. NHM - 810501B/1 (1); WAM - 810123A/2O), 

 810124A/6, 810501B/4(1). 



COLLECTION SITES. Galle, Sri Lanka; Rubiah, Pula We, Sumatra. 



Habitats and depth range. Subtidal rock, coral reef; 5-20m. 



Comments. This is a major extension of range, as the species 

 was originally thought to be restricted to the northern Great 

 Barrier Reef and New Guinea. Two specimens, whose identity 

 was originally in doubt, have now been confirmed as this species. 

 One, 810124A/6, has 7-9 triangular comb teeth, recurved but 

 with bases not in contact; terminal tooth small, proximal tooth 

 usually saucer-shaped. Combs appear irregularly, e.g. on P , P , P 6 

 or P„ P„ P„ P,. The centrodorsal is stellate with cirrus buds and 

 cirrus scars, and subradial clefts are present. Specimen 810501B/4 

 has short combs with 4+2 teeth, triangular but not in lateral 

 contact, a saucer-shaped proximal tooth, and a smaller secondary 

 tooth on some pinnules. 



14. Comanthus wahlbergii (Muller, 1843) 



See. Rowe, Hoggett, Birtles and Vail, 1986: 228. 



MATERIAL. NHM - 810123B/1 (1), 810421A/5(1); WAM - 

 810204A/2 (1); SM - 8101423B/3 (1), 810204A/4 (1). 



Collection sites. Chetlat I., Laccadive Islands; Galle and 

 Kalpitiya, Sri Lanka; Seukundo, Pula We, Sumatra. 



Habitats and depth range. Subtidal rock, coral reef; 3-30m. 



COMMENT. The collection of C. wahlbergii from the Laccadives, 

 Sri Lanka and Sumatra, Indonesia fills the gaps in the distribution of 

 this species around the Indian Ocean. 



15. Comaster multifidus (Muller, 1841) 



SEE. Clark and Rowe 197 1 : 6. 



Material. NHM -810421 A/4 (1); WAM -810425E/1 (1);SM- 

 801 21 0B/5 (1, fragmented), 80121 2 A/2 (1, fragmented). 



Habitats and depth range. Subtidal rock and coral; 10-30m. 



Collection sites. Chetlat I., Laccadive Is; Sabang Bay and 

 Seukundo, Pula We, Sumatra. 



COMMENT. This species is well known from Indonesia and north- 

 ern Australia, and from the South Pacific. The record from the 

 Laccadives is a marked extension of range, but identification is not 

 positive because of the condition of the specimens. 



16. Oxycomanthus bennetti (Muller, 1841) 



See. Clark and Rowe, 1971:6-7; Rowe, Hoggett, Birtles and Vail, 

 1986:259. 



Material. NHM - 810421B/3 (1), 810422D/9 (l),810423C/5 

 (1), 810423C/5 (l),810424D/2 (l),810424D/4 (1), 810425A/18b 

 (1), 810425A/18 (1), 810425E/1 (1), 810425F/2 (1), 810425F/3 (3), 

 810428B/2(1);WAM-810422D/6(1), 810423C/2b(l), 810423C/ 

 3 (2), 810423C/6 (1), 810424A/3 (1), 810424D/6 (l),810424D/7 



