WEST INDIAN STARFISHES 



83 



ambulaeral, much larger and longer, recumbent, extending be- 

 yond the border of the ray and forming a webbed margin. The 

 dorsal parapaxillae, as seen below the supradorsal membrane, are 

 mostly cross-shaped or four-lobed at the base, two of the lobes 

 are often longer than the others, and somewhat enlarged distally. 

 These lobes overlap and under lap those of the adjacent plates. 

 From the center arises a very slender and rather long column, 

 longer than the longest basal lobes, and about three or four 

 times higher than thick. It is enlarged or subcapitate at the 

 summit. Each bears about eight to ten long and very slender 

 divergent, hyaline, webbed spinules, which enter and support the 

 supradorsal membrane. 



The jaws are prominent, subconical; each haK has about six 

 very slender marginal spines, becoming longer adorally. 



The specialized epioral spine is relatively large, long, flatish, 

 wider near the tip, or sublanceolate, nearly vitreous or transluc- 

 ent, and subhyaline in its distal half. It reflects prismatic 

 colors in some lights. 



The madreporic plate is hemispherical, raised on a stalk about 

 as high as broad. The dorsal membrane is very thin and delicate 

 and rises into many small conical or subacute angular elevations 

 when dry. 



This is a delicate and fragile species closely related to P. mili- 

 taris of northern and arctic seas. Its supradorsal membrane is 

 more delicate and its supporting parapaxillae are longer and 

 much more slender, with longer and more thread-like spinules. 



This species was dredged by the Blake Exped. at four stations 

 off Florida and among the Lesser Antilles, in 151 to 422 fathoms. 



The Albatross dredged it at Station 2667, off Southern Georgia, 

 N. lat. 30° 53', in 273 fathoms (No. 18,415, described above.) It 

 was not obtaiued by the Bahama Expedition. 



Order Phanerozona Sladen (emended). 



Phtmerozona (emended) Sladen, Voyage Challenger, Zool., vol. xxx, Introd. 

 pp. xxviii, xli, 1889. Verrill, Revision, Trans. Conn. Acad., x, p. 200, 

 1899. Fisher, op. cit., 1911&, p. 17. Verrill, op. cit., 1914a, p. 280. 



VdlvatcB -\- Paxillosce (as orders), Perrier, in Mem. Etoiles de Mer, An- 

 tilles, etc., p. 154, 1884. 



Valvata -f- Paxillosa Perrier, Exped. Trav. et Talism., ^p. 22, 23, 28, 29, 

 1894; Eesultats Camp. Scientif., Albert I, fasc. xi, p. 16, 1896. 



