(Fig. 5 A-C)

HOLOTYPE. — Vanuatu. MUSORSTOM 8, stn CP 1018, 17°53’S, 168°25’E, 300-301 m, 27.IX.1994, 1 dry specimen, R = 6.6 cm, r = 2.9 cm (MNHN EcAs 11680).

PARATYPES. — Vanuatu. MUSORSTOM 6, stn CP 1017, 17°53’S, 168°26’E, 294-295 m, 27.IX.1994, 2 wet specimens, R = 5.6 cm, r = 2.4 cm, R = 3.2 cm, r = 1.3 cm (MNHN Ech 4685).

ETYMOLOGY. — This species is named for the type locality.

DISTRIBUTION. — Vanuatu. 294- 301 m.

DIAGNOSIS. — Glassy tubercles on smooth, abactinal plates. Adambulacral plates covered by flattened scalar granules with short but well spaced furrow spines. Enlarged pair of oral spines, hemispherical in cross section.

APOMORPHY LIST. — 1, enlarged corner accessory plates present on radial regions. 2, enlarged corner accessory plates present. 3, complete periphery of abactinal accessories. 4, glassy tubercles on abactinal plates. 7, disk and abactinal disk surface flush. 9, glassy tubercles on superomarginal plates. 11, high number of marginal plates in interradius. 18, furrow spines, round-polygonal in cross section. 19, furrow spines spaced apart. 20, subambulacral spines present. 22, granular subambulacral spines present. 25, enlarged oral spines present. 26, rounded interradial arc. 31, fan like flaps on ambulacral base.

DESCRIPTION

Overall body convex, relatively flat, broad with tapering arms. Disk stellate. Radial regions swollen with depressed interradial areas. Pedicellariae absent.