190 



Synaptula maculata (Sluiter). 



Synapta reticulata var. maculata. Sluiter. 1888. Die Evertebraten . . . 



Batavia, pag. 214. 



Synapta reticulata. Clark. 1908. The Apodous Holothurians, p. 86. 



Taba Bay, Mindanao. 12.111.1914. Coral-reef. 10 specimens. 



The length of the specimens at hand varies from 3 cm to 13 

 cm. Their colour (Pl. II fig. 6-7) is greyish-red with dark brown 

 spots or rings. The number of the tentacles is normally 10 but 

 two small specimens have 1 1 . Each tentacle has ca. 25 pairs of 

 digits, which are united by a web. On the oral disk there are 

 distinct eye-spots. The cartilaginous ring is well developed around 

 the calcareous ring, where it is dark purple. The posterior part of 

 it is as in virgata and hydriformis "tentacle-canals". The calcareous 

 ring (Fig. 24. 12) is very faint, and its anterior margin is in all 

 the specimens at hand more or less incomplete. The radial pieces 

 are perforated for the nerves and all the pieces are faintly tinged 

 with green. There are 15 polian vesicles and a single stone-canal. 

 The gonads are in the large specimens well developed, and have 

 an unusually large main-branch. The oesophagus is distinctly 

 different from the rest of the alimentary canal, and the intestine 

 has a large loop. On the mesenteries there are ciliated funnels of 

 the usual shape and size. 



The normal anchors (Fig. 24. 15) measure ca. 210 ^ in length 

 and 160 fi in width. They have the stock finely dented and on 

 the vertex there are minute knobs. Besides these anchors, and 

 corresponding with anchor-plates of the usual size, there are some 

 smaller ones (Fig. 24. 14) with more slender arms. The anchor- 

 plates (Fig. 24. 16) measure ca. 160 [i in length and 140 fi in width. 

 The articular hole is smooth and on the bridge there are some 

 few large knobs. In the posterior end of the plates there are three 

 small holes, the medial one of which is by far the largest. The 

 miliary granules (Fig. 24. 13) are rosettes. These are found all 

 over the skin, but they are lying densest in the white stripes 

 and spots. 



This species differs not only in the size and the general appea- 

 rance from reticulata (Semper), but the weak calcareous ring with 

 the distinct traces of green separates it distinctly from reticulata, 

 which species has a rather stout calcareous ring without any traces 



