. The Biological bulletin. Biology; Zoology; Biology; Marine Biology. ECOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS ON TWO PUERTO-RICAN ECHINODERMS, MELLITA LATA AND ASTROPECTEN MARGINATUS ROMAN KENK Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico I. Mellita lata H. L. Clark In 1941 Dr. Henry van cler Schalie collected two tests of keyhole urchins (Mellita) on the beach near Loiza Vieja, Puerto Rico. The tests were later ex- amined by Dr. Hubert Lyman Clark,1 who recognized them as Mellita lata H. L. Clark, a' species recently described by him (Clark, 1940) and known previously only from two localities—Puerto Limo
. The Biological bulletin. Biology; Zoology; Biology; Marine Biology. ECOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS ON TWO PUERTO-RICAN ECHINODERMS, MELLITA LATA AND ASTROPECTEN MARGINATUS ROMAN KENK Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico I. Mellita lata H. L. Clark In 1941 Dr. Henry van cler Schalie collected two tests of keyhole urchins (Mellita) on the beach near Loiza Vieja, Puerto Rico. The tests were later ex- amined by Dr. Hubert Lyman Clark,1 who recognized them as Mellita lata H. L. Clark, a' species recently described by him (Clark, 1940) and known previously only from two localities—Puerto Limon, Costa Rica, and La Mancha, Veracruz, Mexico. According to Clark' (1933) two species of Mellita occur in Puerto Rico— M. quinquiesperforata (Leske) and M. sexiesperjorata (Leske). The latter, how- ever, is now placed in the genus Leodia Gray. The records of M. quinquiesper- forata are all based on the collections of the "Fish Hawk" expedition which took a total of ten specimens at Ponce, Arroyo, Mayagriez, Puerto Real, and in San Juan Harbor. The collection was studied by Clark (1901) and the specimens were as- signed to the species Mellita testudinata Klein (a synonym of M. quinquiesper- forata) which name was, at that time, used for all five-lunuled members of the genus Mellita from the eastern coasts of the Americas. Clark's recent revision (1940) of the genus Mellita segregates several new forms from the old group of M. quinquiesperforata. In the light of this critical study, the Puerto-Rican form is now to be transferred to the species M. lata. This species ranks among the most common echinoderms of Puerto Rico. It occurs on sandy beaches along the entire circumference of the island. In addition to the localities listed by Clark (1901, p. 254), it has been found in the following places: (1) Beach east of the mouth of Herrera River, east of Loiza Vieja, P. R. Several tests on the sand (coll. H. van der Schalie and the author). (MCZ No. 7972-}. (2) Beach abou
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Keywords: ., bookauthorlilliefrankrat, booksubjectbiology, booksubjectzoology
