PROCEEDINGS

Vol.

XXIX,

pp. 51-62 April4, 1916

PROCEEDINGS

OFTHE

BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON

^.

SIX NEW STARFISHES FROM THE GULF OF CALI-

FORNIA AND ADJACENT WATERS.*

BY AUSTIN ^H. CLARK.

The zoogeographic

region

which extends from Peru north- ward

to

and including the Gulf

^{of California}

and

the

southern

portion ^ofthe Pacific coastofthe

peninsula

^of

Lower

California is

very remarkable _{not only} on account

of

the

_{relatively large}

number

of peculiar

genera which occur

_therein,

but

also

because

of

the

curious relationships

which

the

endemic

_species

show

to others in

southeastern

Australia, the

Hawaiian

Islands, the

Mediterranean, and the Caribbean

Sea, in

addition

to their relationships

with types occurring

ⁱⁿ

Oceania and

in

the Malayan

region^.

A considerable amount

of

work has been done

here,

both by shore

collectors

and,

ⁱⁿ

deep

water,

by

^the

"Albatross "

; yet

it is clear that there is still a great

amount

to be

accomplished,

for

many

types

which should occur here

_{are as yet}

unknown, while

others

have not been

seen since

they were

^first recorded,

some

of

them more than

halfa

century

ago.

Of the

six species

herein

described Sideriaster canaliculatvsis related,

more

or less closely, to S. grandis,

known from

_{a single}

specimen from ^{the Gulf}

^of

Mexico;

^Saraster insignis ^is related to

other types

ⁱⁿ

the

eastern

north

_Pacific;

Anthenea mexicana

is related,

though not very

closely, to

other

_speciesofthe

genus

in Australia,

India and _China;

Narcissia_gracilis is related to

two

Atlantic

forms, one

of

which

occurs in the

Gulf

of

Mexico;

Echinaster parvispinus^is related to

other

_species of the

genus

ⁱⁿ

the Malayan

region;

while

_Cyllaster

seminuda

finds its nearest

counterpart

^{in the}

Hawaiian

Islands.

•Publishedwith permissionofthe Secretaryofthe SmithsonianInstitution.

12—Proc. Biol.Soc.Wash..Vol.XXIX.^1916. 151)

Proceedings

These new

species ^will

be

_figured

and

further discussed in

a paper

dealing

with

^the

fauna

of the region

based upon

^the recently

determined

^{material in the}

U.

S.

National Museum, where

figures of

such

rare

forms

as Acanthasterellisii

(Gray) and

LeiasterteresVerrill,

which

the

Museum

also possesses

from

the

Gulf

ofCalifornia, ^{will also}

be

included.

Family ASTROPECTINID^ ^Gray.

Sideriaster canaliculata

new

species.

Fivearms;

R=64 mm.; ^r=19 mm.; R:r=3.4:l;

^{width of} ray ^at base (measured from ^theinterradial line)22

mm.;

superomarginals^45.

General form^{stellate; disk}

medium

sized; rays tapering evenly^toa blunt extremity.

Gonads

confined to the interradial portion^of the _disk, notextending outalong^therays.

Thereare welldeveloped superambulacral ^plates.

The

paxillseare_closely placed, though not crowded,

and

are remark- ably uniform in size, those adjacent ^to the superomarginals being only slightlysmallerthanthosein the radial line of the arms,

and

the latter similarlyonlyslightly largerthanthosein the centerofthedisk.

A

largepaxilla from the radial region ^at the baseofthe

arms

hasa rather lowthickstalk supporting a crown consisting ^of from^{six to ten} (most

commonly

^{seven, rarely}

more

than eight) stout blunt radiating spines, with frequentlyoneortwo_(rarelymore) ^additional

much

smaller

and

shorter spines between them,

and

from oneto four(most

commonly

oneor two) ^{short stout} round-tipped spines, resembling the radiating spines but shorter, at the summit.

The

radiating spines areabout as long^asthe

column

ofthe paxilla^is high.

The

largeprominent exposed madreporite ^is situated exactly

midway

between ^{the center of the disk}

and

the interbrachial margin. ^{It is} circular, 3.5

mm.

indiameter,

and

bears

numerous more

or lesscomplete septa extending from the periphery a greater or ^lesser distance toward thecenter. Itpresents a

most

strikingsimilarity toacoral polyp.

Papulee, regularly ^six about each plate, occur uninterruptedly across thearms.

The

superomarginals ^{are short}

and

broad; ⁱⁿ the interbrachial arc they arewedge-shaped, about^{half as} long^attlieactinal as atthe abactinal end, ⁵

mm.

wide

and

1

mm.

_longatthewell roundedabactinal border;

they are evenly curved, the arc ^of the curvature

making

^an angle ^of about60° with theplane ^{ofthe disk;} gradually they

become more

_oblong

and

increase in length ^to the ^fifth

and

following, which have_parallel sidesand are noticeablylarger than ^{those in} the interbrachial arc; on the

arms

_they

become more

recumbent, lying mostly on the abactinal surface, though ^still with a uniform curve from the actinal to the abactinal border.

The

superomarginals ^bear

on

their outer surface usually three(some-

Clark

—

Six

New

_Starfishes

_from

the

Gulf

of California. ^>

53

timestwoor_four) alternatingrowsofshort stubby^wellspaced^truncated spines

which

increase_slightlyindiameter from the base to the broad nearly flat tip,

and

are about as high as, or _slightlyhigher than, ^their basal diameter; in the interbrachial arc there areabout twelveof these spines^toa row,

and

on the outer part ^of the

arms

eight or nine; those inthe

median row

are_slightlylargerthanthosein thelateralrows.

The

channels between the superomarginals ^{are filled} with _very

numerous

short very slender spinelets w'hich are almost or quite concealed from view

by

^{theoutermostrowsof}spines

on

theiroutersurface.

The

line ofunionbetweenthesuperomarginals

and

the inferomarginals

isslightlysunken.

The

inferomarginals correspond ^to the superomarginals,

which

in general they resemble^; but inaddition to thearmatureasdescribed for thelatterthey possess

on

the outerborderoftheactinal surface,or

more

orless belowthemiddleofthe_plate,abroad extremely^{flattenedtruncated} spatulate spinefrom 1

mm.

to 1.5

mm.

inlength, abouthalf asbroad as long oreven shorter, increasing

more

or less in length from the base to the _tip, with

more

^or less convex sides. In the interbrachial arc there

may

^{be two oreven three of} these spines ^to a _single inferomarginal^;

beyond

^theproximal^thirdofthe

arm

_they

become

_smaller,atthemiddle ofthe

arm

being but^littlelargerthanthe short spines covering the outer surfaceoftheplate, soonafterdisappearingaltogether.

The

actinal intermediate areas are moderate in size; the _plates are arrangedⁱⁿregular^seriesrunning fromthe inferomarginals^tothecorres- ponding adambulacrals^; an unpairedline of platesruns fromthe

mouth

platesabout half

way

^tothe marginals.

A

single series of actinal inter- mediate_platesextends to the twentieth inferomarginal, asecond to the twelfth,

and

a third to the seventh. These actinal intermediate _plates arenarrow, with deep channels between ^the rows

which

are filledwith small slender spinules similar to, but fewer

and

coarser than, the spines filling the channels between the marginals.

Each

plate bears

on

its actinalsurface usuallyfrom four toeight short truncatedspines, similar to thoseon themarginals ^but

more

_spaced,

and

of various sizesinstead of uniform, or nearly uniform, ^{size. All of the} plates bordering the adambulacral

and mouth

plates,

and

a few of the others, bear _pedicel- larise, usuallywiththree or four jaws.

The

adambulacralplatesbearontheirsharplyangular furrow

margin

three broad

and

strongly ^flattened spines.

The

innermost of these, situated attheapex ^of the angle, ^is slightly recurved,

and

is flattened transversely^tothefurrow; the spines

on

eitherside of thisare_straight, slightly^less broad,

and

the axis of their flattening ^is parallelwith the edge ^of the _{plate so} that they

make

an _angle ^of 30° with the axisof flattening^ofthe

median

_spine, orof 60° with eachother.

Behind

these

isa

row

oftwoor three similarflattened spines,the axis ofthe_flattening beingparallelwiththefurrow; but oneorbothoftheouterofthese

may

turn

more

or less so as to form supplementary furrow spines,

and

the central one

may ^become

enlarged,especiallytowardthe

end

ol the _ray.

Beyond

^theseisa

row

of

two

_similar, but smaller _spines.

The

_grooves

Proceedings of Biological Society of

Washington.

betweenthe_platesarefilledwithslender spinesresembling ^{those in the} groovesbetweenthe marginals.

The mouth

_plates are narrow; ^the furrow margin ^is short, witli apparently^{five flattened}spineswhichdecreaseinlength outwardly

and

resemble thoseof thefurrow seriesonthe adambulacrals, but are

more

slender; themargin adjoining the adambulacralsbears five orsix

much

shorter spines^of diminishinglength; just within these there arefiveor six longer

and

stouter spines, also of diminishing length.

The

sutural edge bears three or four long spines corresponding ^to

and

_resembling thoseon thedistalfurrow margin,abruptlychanging^{to aseriesof}

much

smaller spines before the

maximum

width of the plate^isreached.

The

edgebordering theadambulacrals_{bears very}

numerous

short fine spines likethose bordering theadambulacrals.

Colorin alcohol, brownishyellow.

Type.—

^{Cat. No.}36,951, U. S. N. M., from "Albatross" ^Station2998, Gulfof California, in40 fathoms.

Family BENTHOPECTINID^

Verrill.

Saraster

new

_genus.

Genotype.

—

_{Sarasterinsignis,}

_new

_species.

The

characters of thisgenusare given ⁱⁿ the description ^of the type species following.

Saraster _insignis

new

_species.

Five arms;

R=100 mm.; r=10 mm.

(actinally) to 12

mm.

(abacti- nally);

R:

r=8.3to 10: 1 _;widthofray ^atbase (between oddinterradial marginals) ¹⁵

mm.

; superomarginals ^46.

General formstellate; raysbroadat the base, tapering rather rapidly in the first quarter,

much

less rapidly from _{that point}

onward

;

odd

interradialmarginalsare presentⁱⁿbothseries in allinterradii.

The

_gonadsreach thefifthor sixth superomarginal.

The

pedicelshavewelldeveloped, though small, sucking^disks.

The

interbrachial

septum

^is very small,

membranous.

The

dorsal muscle bands are notattached to a proximal ambulacral

ossicle.

Thereare

no

pedicellariae.

The

abactinal_platesare stronglystellate,large

and

small intermingled, the large with alowtabulum.

Each

abactinal _plate bears usually one,

on

the disk sometimes_two, rarely three, long rough spines

which

have

numerous

longitudinalserrate ridges; inthe centerofthe disk the spines

may

^reach5

mm.

inlength; along the mid-line ^of the

arms

_they remain ofthe

same

_lengthuntiltheendofthe basal quarter,though they

become

more

slender; beyondthis point,

and

_{along the} sides of the arms, they areshorter

and more

_slender, but the transition from _{the longer} to the shorter spines^isalwaysvery gradual. ^If there is

more

than one spine toa_plate, they are usually^ofverydifi'erent sizes.

The

_{plates of}the disk

ClarTc

—

Six Neto_Starfishes

from

the

Gulf

of California.

55 and arm

bases

commonly

^{have from three to six} very small spines ^of different sizesaboutthe bases ofthe _larger.

The

papul?e are large, abundant,

and

conspicuous, occurring ^all over the abactinal surfaceto within 20

mm.

of the_{tips of} thearms; they are slightlysmallerinthe mid-radialline ofthe

arms and

inthe center ofthe diskthanelsewhere.

The

madreporite ^is oval, measuring ⁴

mm.

_by 3

mm.,

the longer diameter radial; the surface is elevated, high, evenly convex, ^covered with

numerous

fineirregularridges^{; its}centerisone-thirdofthe distance betweentheoddinterradialsuperomarginal

and

the centerofthedisk.

The

oddinterradial superomarginal^{issixsided; the abactinal}

and

the two _adjacent sides are of about the

same

_length; theformeris slightly concave,

and

thetwolatterareproduced^{into a}slight spine^atthe lower angles^;theproximalborder, adjoining the

odd

interradial inferomarginal,

is aboutaslong^asthe oppositeside, straight,or_slightlyconvex; thetwo lowerlateralsidesareabouttwiceaslong^asthe others, slightlyconcave.

The

abactinal surfaceof the_platewithin the outerface is produced^into arounded tubercle, not _especiallyconspicuous, which bearsonitsouter side (not onits

summit)

^aroughspineonlyslightlylargerthanthe_large spines^ofthe_disk, directedoutward

and more

orless

downward.

The

superomarginals ^are low

and

_long, mostly about^{twice as} long ^as broad; ^{the first is} iri*egularly polygonal or quadrate,about as long as broad; the following areirregularlyrhombicwith thedistaland proximal angles truncated; the suturebetween the adjacentsuperomarginals^slants stronglyinward, the abactinal

end

_being

more

^distal than the actinal.

Each

superomarginal ^{bears in its} upper two-thirds, springing from a

common

elevation, twoslender_spines, one _directlyabovethe other; the uppermost^isthelonger, resemblingthe long spines^of the center of the diskbut

somewhat more

slender; the loweris shorter

and more

slender;

inthe outerhalf ofthe

arms

thelatterdisappears.

The common

elevated base bearing these spines^carries afew_spinules.

The

oddinferomarginal ^iselongated dorso-ventrally^; theactinal third liesontheactinal surface, while the abactinal two-thirds stands almost vertically,forming^{with the} corresponding superomarginal ^{the sidewall} of the interbrachial arc.

Viewed

laterally the odd interradial infero- marginal appears ^{six-sided;the} actinal side,formingthe borderbetween the actinal

and

abactinal _surfaces, is about twice as long ^as the other sides, whichareallofequal length^; that part ^of the_platewhich lies

on

theactinalsurfaceisapproximatelysemicircular, withtwo_slighttubercles

midway

^between the midradial point and _{the point} of union with the adjacent inferomarginals.

The

plate bears a^vertical

median column

of threeslender spines ^ofwhichthe uppermost,situated in the centerofthe lateral surface, ^is 3

mm.

long; the next, situated on the lateral surface just attheactinolateral border,^{is of}aboutthe

same

size; thethird, situ- ated_just

beyond

^{the centerofthe} actinal surface, ^is

much

smaller.

At

first the inferomarginals are slightly displaced distally, but after theproximal ^{fourthof the}

arm

_{theycorrespond} tothesuperomarginals;

inthe proximal^{fourthof the}

arm

_theyresemble thesuperomarginals ⁱⁿ

Proceedings Biological Society of

size and _{shape, but} distally they are

somewhat

smaller.

The

_upper borderof the inferomarginals imbricates ^sliglitly over the lower border of the correspondingsuperomarginals.

Each

inferomarginal bears two spines, which are similartothose borne bythe snperomarginals.

The

actinal intermediate _plates are two _(rarely three) in number, rounded, suspended ⁱⁿ perisome just beyond ^the two tubercles

on

the innerborderof theoddinterradialmarginals, orjust distal to the outer angles^ofthe

mouth

plates.

The

adambulacral plates are slightly longer than broad; their distal

and

_proximal borders are_parallel, oblique,slanting adorallytoward the furrow; thefurrow border formsaprominentanglewitharounded apex

and

concavesides.

The

first adambulacral _plate is separated from the

odd

interradial inferomarginal

by

^{the actinal} intermediate _plate; the second adjoins the ^first inferomarginal^; the third ^lies across the suture betweenthe first

and

second inferomarginals^; from this point

onward

the adambulacrals, slightly

more numerous

than the inferomarginals, sometimes correspond, sometimes alternate, with them.

The

armature consists oftwo, rarely three, small slender spines situated^side

by

^{side at} theapex ^of the angleontheextremeinneredge^{wellwithin the} furrow;

behindthese,

on

the inneredge^oftheplate asviewed _actinally, a

much

larger spine, resembling those on the inferomarginals, though very slightly smaller

and

less stout.

The mouth

_plates bear three long spines along ^the furrow which de- crease rapidly^{in size} outwardly; on ^{the actinal surface of the} plates, within the outermost of these, there is a _single spine resembling ^the longest^ofthe furrowseries.

Colorinalcoholdullgray, belowwhite.

Type.—

^{C&t. No.}36,895,U. S. N. M., from "Albatross"Station_2992, offClarion _Island,

Lower

California, in460 fathoms.

Family GONIASTERID^

Forbes.

Subfamily

Anthenein^

Fisher.

Anthenea mexicana new

species.

Fivearms;

R=54 mm.

;

r=24 mm.

;

R:

r=2.2o:1; superomarginals ¹³ or 14.

Form

_stellate, with the interbrachialarcs

and

the_{tips of} the rays^well rounded.

At

theendsthe

arms

are abruptlyupturned ^{so that the} tips standvertically.

The

outline ofthe dorsal _plates, which areflatand _{not tumid,} is

more

or lessconcealed. These _plates beardistinct, usuallycylindrical, tuber- cles, whichare arrangedin regular rows parallel to the mid-radial line of the arms.

The

most prominent ^of these tubercles are in tworows, oneoneither side ofthemid-radial_line,about3

mm.

_apartatthe widest point,which run from_{a point} half

way

^{betweenthe center of the disk} andthe

arm

basealmostto the

arm

tip^; the_slightlysunken naked area betweentheserows (occupying the mid-radialline of the

arm)

^decreases very slightly inwidth towardthe

arm

_tip.

Beyond

^{theserows oneither}

Clark

—

Six

New

_Starfishes

from

^the

Gulf

of California^.

57

side is another _parallel

row

of

somewhat

smaller tubercles which runs froma pointonthe side of theinterradial furrowhalf

way

^{between the}

centerofthe disk

and

the

margin

^{of the} superomarginals ^{to the level of} the fourth orfifth superomarginal, where^itdisappears; these^lateralrows areaboutas farfromthe

median

rows as the latter are _apart.

Beyond

these long^lateral rows oneither sideisashortlateralrow _arisingonthe border of the interradial furrow about two-thirds of the distance from the centerof the disk to the superomarginals,

and

_running to the level ofthedistal borderofthesecond superomarginal.

Shallow, rather broad, furrowsextend from the apical region ^of the disk to near the superomarginals; ^{these are}

more

^{or less} petaloid ⁱⁿ shape,

and

are 4

mm.

in

maximum

diameter, ^half

way

^{between the}

centerof the disk

and

thesuperomarginals^{; these} furrows are bordered witha

more

or less irregular

and

indistinct

row

of tubercles,

and

_carry within thegroovethree pairsof largelowtubercles.

Many

^of the abactinal _platescarrypedicellarisewhich, however,

seem

tobeabsentfrom thearms.

The

_madreporic

body

^issmall, about2.5

mm.

indiameter, withrather coarsestrife.

The

superomarginals decrease regularly ⁱⁿ width to the

arm

_bases, then remaining of practically the

same

width to near theendsof the arms; they are slightly tumid,

and

their surface is covered with well spaced, rather high, tubercular granules^; except^fora fewofthe terminal, eachbears apedicellaria.

The

inferomarginals correspond ^to the superomarginals, which _they resembleinall

ways

exceptⁱⁿbeingslightlywider,

and

innot_decreasing perceptiblyⁱⁿwidth until near the tip of thearms; ^{all of}

them

bear pedicellarise.

The

actinal intermediate _plates are numerous,

and

are arranged ⁱⁿ rows between the marginals

and

the adambulacrals; they bear _very

numerous

well spaced globular tubercles^; toward the periphery ^of the actinal surface thesetubercles

become

smaller,

and merge

^{intothe tuber-}

clescovering the inferomarginals. Nearly^{allof theactinal} intermediate platesbear thecharacteristic pedicellarise; these are _largest

on

the_plates bordering^theadambulacrals, where they occur ⁱⁿ a diagonal position, their long ^axis coinciding with that^of the seriesof plates of

which

the platesbearing

them

are a part; further from theambulacra)grooves the pedicellaripe

become

smaller

and more

irregular in orientation, though

most

of

them

have their long axisparallel tothatoftheseriesincluding the_plate which bearsthem.

The

adambulacral _platesare apparently about ^as long ^as broad; the furrow border is slightly curved; they carry^five or six (usually five) furrow_spines, graduatedⁱⁿheight from ^thesmall

and

short outer tothe long

and

stout stronglyflattened central, whichincreaseindiameter

and end

in a rounded _tip. These plates, especially near the mouth,

may

carry^asmall pedicellaria

on

theproximal (adoral) border. Within the series of furrowspines there^isaseries of three stout _spines, the central

much

the _largest,parallel tothefurrow;

beyond

this,

and

spaced from

Proceedings of Biological Society of

Washington.

it, thereis aseriesof tliree

much

smaller

and

shorter _spines,not greatly larger than the granular spines ^of the actinal intermediate plates, from whichthey are separated

by

^{anarrrowbarearea.}

The mouth

_plates haveseven stoutspinesonthefurrow_border, which decrease veryslightly inlength^; within the distal portion^of the furrow border are two

much

stouter_spines,

and

_justwithin the apex another similar_{to these;} along the inner

margin

^{of the}plates ^isa

row

of fiveor sixspines similarto these, butshorter.

Type.—

^{Gat. No.38,318,U.S.}N. M., fromthe west coastofMexico.

Family LINCKIID^

Perkier.

Narcissia _gracilis

new

species.

Five arms;

R=54 _mm.;

r=8.6

mm.

;

R:r=6.3:l;

height ^to apex ^of abactinal region ⁷

mm.

; widthof

arms

atbase 10

mm.

General form stellate, with long slender regularly tapering rays, up- turned atthe_tip; the

body

^{is low, the}

maximum

height being^less than the diameter of the

arms

at their base; the

arm

sectionatthe baseis

low, roundedtriangular.

The

centerof the abactinal surfaceis occupied

by

^a

mass

of plates of different sizes inwhich theprimaryplates can _usuallybe distinguished.

From

thiscentral

mass

_{of plates}there runs

down

the mid-lineof eachof the

arms

a prominent ^{series of} elongate polygonal plates bordered on either sideby ^a

row

of

much

smaller_platesbeyond which ^isanother

row

of larger plates,

which

_{are nearly}as large as the_{plates in}the mid-radial series.

At

themiddleofthe

arm

theseries of small_plates

on

either side of the carinal series disappears,

and

the carinal series merges with ^the large plates of the series beyond, the three series combining ^to form a broaddorsal

band

of irregularly arranged subequal polygonalplates.

Inthe proximal ^{half of the}

arm many,

or most, ^of the _{plates in} the carinal

row and

in the rows of larger plates on either side of it bear pedicellariae,buttheseareabsentinthe outerhalf of thearm.

Between therowsof large plates oneitherside of the carinalseriesin theproximal ^{half of the}

arm and

the dorsal

band

of large plates in the distal half of the arm,

and

the superomarginals, there are ^five rows of platesdecreasingvery slowly^insize fromabove (abactinally)

downward;

ofthese rows the lowest reaches only^to the third-fifth superomarginal, thesecond reachesto the fifth-eighth,

and

the third reaches the eighth- twelfth; the fourth

and

fifth, distally becoming

more

or less irregular, persist nearly ^to the _{tip of} the arm.

The

last thirteen-fifteen supero- marginals ^{are incontact}with themid-dorsal

band

of large plates.

The

madreporite ^issmall, circular, 1.5

mm.

indiameter, situated mid-

way

^{betweenthe centerof}the dorsal surface

and

the interbrachial_angle.

The

anus is rather prominent, excentric, protected by ^{short stout} spines.

Single papulse occur ⁱⁿthe anglesbetween^all the abactinal_plates, ex- ceptingbetween the _{plates in}the broad dorsal

band

inthedistalhalf of thearm, wherethey are^rare. Thereare

no

actinal papulae.

Clark

—

_Six

_New

_Starfishes

_from

the

Gulf

of California.

59

Pedicellariee are only exceptionally present on the smaller abactinal plates.

Superomarginals

and

inferomarginals large

and

_prominent, of equal size, rounded_{oblong, slightlylonger}than broad, ⁱⁿ thedistal quarter^of the

arm _becoming

_squarish

and

at the _{tip slightly} broader than _long.

The two

seriescorrespondexcept^attheupturned

arm

tip.

As

farasthe distalthirdor fourthofthe

arm

each superomarginal,

and

several of the inferomarginals, bears a delicate pedicellaria with

two

_long

and

_very slenderjaws ending ^{in a} palmate tip

which

lies in aslit-likegroove

on

the surfaceoftheplate.

Intermarginal papulae occurⁱⁿ theproximal ^half or two-thirds of the arms.

Between

the inferomarginals

and

the adambulacrals there are several rows ^of actinal intermediate _plates; the first of these, adjoining the adambulacrals,is

composed

of plates

which

atfirstare not

much

inferior tothe^{latter in} size, though^{intheouterhalf ofthe}

arm

their sizeslowly diminishes; ^this

row

extends to the fifth or sixth inferomarginalfrom the

end

ofthe_ray; mostofthe_{plates in}the middlehalf of the

row

bear pedicellarise likethose of the marginals; above ^{this is a} second

row

of slightlysmaller _plates

which

extends to theseventh inferomarginal; a third

row

of still smaller _plates reaches to the fourth inferomarginal, whileabovethis lastare two additional rows,one of which reaches the third,theother the second, inferomarginal^; exceptⁱⁿthe first

row none

ofthese_platesbearpedicellarise.

The

adambulacral plates are oblong, ^{at first} about twiceasbroad as long,decreasing slightly in length distally,

and

_increasing again termi- nally^; theplates in this seriesare separatedfrom eachotherbyprominent grooves.

The

furrow_{spines are} four,

becoming

^{three in'the distal half}

ofthe

arm

; they are triangularⁱⁿcross section, the sharpestapex^ofthe trianglebeing directedtowardthe centerofthefurrow border ofthe plate

which

bears

them

; themost proximal^{isthestoutest,}

and

thetwo

median

arethe

most

slender.

Beyond

^{thefurrowseries}there are three rows each

composed

^{of three} shorttruncated spines

which

are triangular orpolygonal in section; the innermost_row, bordering^thefurrow_spines, is

somewhat

curved,

and

is

placed

somewhat

obliquely so that the ^distal

end

is nearer thefurrow than the proximal^{; the spines of the} outermost

row

are scarcely ^dis- tinguishablefromthegranular investment^ofthe

body

^surface.

The mouth

_plates are triangular; each bears from seven to ninestout prismatic spines

on

the ambulacral _border; on the

common

actinal surface of eachpair there are from _eight to ten stout prismatic spines

which

decreaseinsize outwardly.

The

whole

body

^is covered with_closelypacked ^fine hemispherical or polygonalgranules

which

_entirelyconceal the outlines^of the underlying plates; the onlybreaks in this granular covering are thepapularpores

and

the

narrow

elongate groovesⁱⁿwhich^liethepedicellariae.

The

colorinalcoholislight yellowish, ordark brown.

Type.—

^{CRt. No.:3S,317, U.S. N. :^.I., from} "Albatross" Station 2829, off

Lower

California, in 31 fathoms.

Proceedings

Family ECHINASTERID^

^Verrill.

Echinaster parvispinus

new

species.

Fivearras;

R=53mm.; r=10mm.;

^R:r=5.3:l.

The arms

^arerobust, evenly tapering.

Tlieabactinal_plates aretliickand_heavy,butrelatively small,arranged in three regularrowsalong the dorsal (abactinal) surface ^of the arms, withthree additional _irregularrows betweentheoutermostof the dorsal rows andthe superomarginals.

The

three dorsal rows _{of plates,} which areabout2

mm.

_apart,formthreeratherprominent narrow

and

_irregular

ridges,

and

bear

numerous

short conical orcylindrical,sometimes_capitate, jointedspines,usuallytwoor threetoa_plate, which_rarelyreach 1

mm.

in height, in an _{irregularzigzag} series; in the carinal

row

there are aboutforty-five ofthese spinesfromthebase tothetip ofthearm.

The

_{plates of} thelateralrows are

somewhat

less regularin disposition, andarelesselevated.

The

spines whichthey bear are

more

slenderthan the spines ^of the three

median

_{series, though not}

much

smaller; this,

combined

withthelesserelevationofthe_plates,servesto

make

thelateral plates

and

spines noticeably ^less conspicuous than the median.

The

plates inthese lateral rowsare

more numerous

thanthoseinthemedian, there being fourⁱⁿ theformertothreeinthe latter. In the lateralrows thereis onlyone_spinetoa_plate.

The

centerofthe abactinal area bears scattered spineswhicharesimilar to thoseofthe three

median

rows onthearms.

The

madreporite^isoval, about2

mm.

inthe greater diameter, bearing short peripheralspines.

Papulfe are very abundant, ^{in alcoholic} specimens ^often appearing ^to form broad continuous ^lineswhich extend ^thewhole _length ^{of the}

arms

between therows _{of spines.} Single intermarginal papulfe

may

^occur,

especiallytowardtheendsofthearms.

The

superomarginals,which formacontinuous

band

all along thearm, areirregular in shape, longer than broad; their spines, one to a _plate, forma regular^lineallalong thearm,

and

are similarin charactertothe spines onthe _platesabove.

The

inferomarginals proximally^bear two (rarelythree) spines similar to thoseof the superomarginals ⁱⁿ a transverse _series, these

becoming

reducedtooneintheouter halfofthearms.

Intheactinal interradial areas only the spines ^of the inferomarginal series occur; these are

commonly much

reduced ⁱⁿ size,

and

sometimes obsolete.

On

theadambulacral _plates the furrowseries consists of three spines;

thefirstofthese isvery small, recurved, situatedonthe innerface ofthe platenear thebottom ofthegroove^{; the}next isnearly or quite twice^as long, slender, situated half

way up

^{on the inner} face,

and

the third ^is

much

stouter than the

two

preceding, situated on the inner border of the plate.

Behind

this third spine ^is another

much

smaller spine

on

theactinalsurfaceof the_plate.

Color in alcohol usuallydark purplish or reddish brown, sometimes lightpink.

Clark

—

Six

New

Starfishes frovi^the

Gulf

of California.

61 Type.—

^Cat.No. 36,893, U. S. N. M., from "Albatross" Station 3021, Gulfof California, 14fathoms.

Cyllaster

new

_genus.

Genotype.

—

_{Cyllasterseminuda,}

new

_species.

The

diskis very small.

The

rays are slender

(R=6r

^to 8.3r), usually subcylindrical, very flexible, usually arising

somewhat

_abruptly from the disk; that is, there

is usually a

more

orlessstraight, thoughshort,interbrachial border.

The

abactinal skeletonis

more

orlessopen, or aborted.

The

papulae areisolated, verylarge

and

conspicuous.

The

marginal platesare

more

or less imperfectlydeveloped

and

_irreg-

ular, orabsentaltogether.

The

adambulacral _plateshave from two tosixsabre-shaped spines

on

thefurrow _face; theactinal surface is denselypacked with from twenty to fortyspines orspinules, ^all long, or one or two rows bordering ^the furrow_long,theremaindershort.

This genus^isverycloselyrelated to Henricia; ^it includes, inaddition to the type, Cyllaster polyacantha (Fisher), C. clarki (Fisher),

and

C.

pauperrima

^{(Fisher), allofwhich were}originallydescribedasHenricia.

Cyllaster

seminuda new

species.

Five arms;

R=about

50

mm.

^;

r=6 mm.

^;

R:r=8.3:

1.

The arms

_{are very} long, slender, approximately cylindrical, and _very flexible;there are no marginals^{in eitherseries.}

The

abactinal skeleton isvery greatly reduced.

A

continuous line of very narrow _{elongate plates} runs along the mid-dorsal ^line from the baseof the

arms

tothetip; ^itdoes not extend onto ^the disk.

Between

this

median

line

and

_{the region normally occupied} by marginals ^{is a} widely open, exceedingly irregular,

meshwork

^of narrower

and

smaller plates; within the spaces between the

narrow

lines forming ^this

mesh- work

are

numerous

_granules. Exteriorly the plates

and

the granules bear

numerous

fine spines, those on the granules being usuallyone or twoin

number,

though sometimes more, according^totheirsize,thoseon the_platesbeing irregularly distributed,

on

the mid-dorsal line

showing

atendency^togrouping.

The

^skeletonbecomes

somewhat more

dense at the

arm

tips.

The

disk

and arm

bases carry a few smalldetached _plates

and numerous

spiniferousgranules.

The

interradial areasof the disk _actinally have an _irregular

median column

of very

narrow

_plates which resembles theline of platesrunning

down

the midline of the arms,

and numerous

relatively large widely spaced granules,

which become

_suddenly smaller and

more numerous

towardthe abactinalsurface.

Between

theadambulacrals

and

the outer(actinal)borderofthe dorsal

meshwork,

covering the region normallyoccupiedby the marginals, ^isa

band

_{occupiedsolelybyvery}

numerous

minutespiniferous granules.

The

madreporite^islarge, oval, with a fewcoarse _irregular striae situ-

Proceedings of Biological Society of

Washington.

ated

on

theborderofthe diskasviewedabactinally; ^itbears afewsmall spineletsaboutits border.

The

papulee are very large, abundant,

and

conspicuous, covering the dorsal surfaceofthedisk

and

_arms,

and

thelateral surfaces ofthelatter;

onthesides of the

arms

_{they arearranged} in regular diagonal lines; in themidradial region of the

arms and

on the disk their arrangement ^is irregular.

Thereare notraces of

any

platesbetween the adambulacrals

and

the actinalborderof the dorsal

meshwork.

The

adambulacral_{plates at} first areabout twiceas broad _{as long,}be-

coming

^aboutaslong^asbroadaftertheproximal^thirdof the

arm

; each of these _plates is separated from its neighbors

by

^adistinct interval or suture.

The

adambulacral _plates bear within the furrow_{three long}

and

_very slender spines^situatedone abovethe other; onthefurrow margin ^there are usually threelonger

and

stouter_spines,forming^afurrow

comb;

^these

may

^be arranged with the central one in advance, or they

may

^(more

rarely) standin a diagonal^line with the outermostnearest the centerof thefurrow; the innermost_spineonthefurrow margin ⁽whetherthe first or the second) ^is _directly over the slender furrow _spine.

The

_typical arrangement seems to be, middle oneinadvance, proximal oneslightly behindit, distal one considerablybehindit.

The

middle _one, which is largerthan the_others, is

more

or lesssabre-shaped.

The

actinalsurface ofthe _plateisstudded withsmall_spineletswhichare irregularin position.

The mouth

_platesare_largeand,

owing

^totheabsence of actinal inter- mediate, or other except adambulacral, plates, very conspicuous.

The mouth

spine.sarefivein number, resembling the spines

on

the borderof the adambulacrals.

On

theoutermost_angle,deepⁱⁿthe furrow, aretwo

more

_spines,

much

smaller and

more

slender, of which the proximal ^is opposite the ^{fifth of} the furrow_series,

and

the_distal,which is slightly smaller, ^issituated_slightly beyond.

The

innerhalf of the

mouth

_plates

iscovered with small_spinules, butthedistalhalfisnaked.

Colorinalcohol brownishwhite.

Type.—Ga.i. No. _38,316, U. S. N. M., from "Albatross" ^Station 2993, oflFthe Revillagigedo Islands,

Lower

California, in364 fathoms.