THE DEVELOPMENT OF AX APODOUS HOLOTHURIAN 
(CHIRIDOTA ROTIFERA) 
HUBERT LYMAN CLARK 
Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University 
SIX FIGURES 
In the summer of 1897, while enjoying the privileges of the 
Johns Hopkins Biological Laboratory at Port Antonio, Jamaica, 
I collected a number of specimens of a small holothurian (Chiri- 
dota rotifera) on the reef at Titchfield Point, where it lived in the 
sand beneath the broken pieces of coral rock. This species is of 
more than usual interest because like its near relative, S^maptula 
hydriformis [ = Synapta vivipara (Oerst.)], the eggs undergo their 
development in the body-cavity of the mother and the young are 
born at an advanced stage. Among the specimens which I col- 
lected, were half a dozen, which contained young in the body- 
cavity, and it was my hope that I might be able to study the de- 
velopment of Chiridota in the same way and to the same extent 
as I had already done with Synaptula. The material collected 
in 1897 was not sufficient, however, to make such a study possible, 
and it was accordingh' put aside until another opportunity should 
present itself for collecting Chiridota. In April, 1899, I jnade a 
brief visit to Bermuda and there I found the desired holothurian 
quite common. Not having facilities for laboratory work, I sim- 
ply gathered all the adult Chiridotas I could find and preserved 
them in alcohol. In November, 1902, and again in March, 1909, 
it w^as my good fortune to be able to revisit Jamaica, but on neither 
occasion did I find Chiridota at all common, and only a few small 
specimens were obtained. 
Dr. Brooks was greatly interested in the discovery of Chiridota 
at Port Antonio in 1897, and desired me to complete my study of 
