NOTES ON SOME ECHINODERMS FROM SOUTHERN AFRICA By AILSA M. CLARK SYNOPSIS The main part of this paper deals with noteworthy species of echinoderms (excepting holo-thurians) from around the mainland of southern Africa south of the Tropic of Capricorn, with appendices on a few species from off-lying localities including the Vema Seamount, Walter's Shoal, a peak of the South-West Indian Ocean Ridge and Madagascar. Most of the specimens came from the Ecological Survey of the University of Cape Town but some were collected in conjunction with the International Indian Ocean Year, notably by the 'Anton Bruun' ; a few from the British Museum collections are also dealt with. Three new species of ophiuroids are described and the ranges of four other ophiuroids and two unstalked crinoids are extended to southern Africa. A lectotype is selected for Astropecten granulatus natalensis John and taxono-mic changes are made to several nominal species of other Asterozoa, including transfers to different genera, alterations in rank and synonymies (see p. 483). INTRODUCTION THIS paper brings up-to-date details of noteworthy echinoderms (excepting holo-thurians) collected since I last reported on South African echinoderms in 1952 by Professor J. H. Day and his co-workers at the University of Cape Town during their long-term Ecological Survey of South African and adjacent waters. Following the exhaustive studies of H. L. Clark (1923) and Mortensen (1933) it is not surprising that only three undescribed species -all ophiuroids -were found. Tantalizingly, no further material came to light of some of the little-known species such as the crinoids Decametra durbanensis A. M. Clark and Monachocrinus perrieri (Koehler and Vaney), the asteroids Tethy aster pacei (Mortensen) (originally Anthosticte pacei) , Ceramaster trispinosus H. L. Clark, Anseropoda novemradiata (Bell) and Mithrodia gigas Mortensen, or the ophiuroids Amphiura acutisquama A. M. Clark, A. linearis Mortensen, Ophiogymna capensis (Liitken) and Ophioderma wahlbergi Miiller and Troschel. The main part of the text deals with specimens from around the mainland of southern Africa south of the Tropic of Capricorn (c. 23 1 S), which just extends to include Inhambane in Mozambique on the east coast but not quite to Walvis Bay in South-West Africa on the west. There are six species new to the area, the crinoid Oligometra serripinna (P. H. Carpenter) and the ophiuroids Anamphiura valida H. L. Clark and Amphiophiura trifolium Hertz extending to Natal from Mauritius, the Amirante Islands, the Zanzibar area and Mombasa respectively, while the crinoid Tropiometra magnified A. H. Clark with the ophiuroids Ophiocirce inutilis Koehler and Ophiopallas paradoxa are extended to southern Mozambique from localities further north in East Africa. Since this paper went to press I have received from M. Jangoux a copy of his important paper 'Les Asteries de 1'Ile d'Inhaca (Mozambique) (Echinodermata, Asteroidea). i. Les especes recoltees et leur repartition geographique.' Ann. Mus. R. Afr. Cent., ser. 8, Zool. No. 208: 1-50, 13 figs., 7 pis.
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