The Echinoderm Fauna of South Africa. 279 



ASTERINIDAE. 



This is the best represented in South African waters of any of 

 families of sea-stars, although the present collection contains but 

 seven forms. Eleven of chose here listed are Asterinas in the wide 

 sense of that term and several of them are very imperfectly known. 

 The group was revised by Verrill in 1913 (Amer. Jour. Sci., vol. 35, 

 p. 477) but owing to an unfortunate mistake one or more para- 

 graphs of his "key" failed to be printed and as a consequence, it is 

 quite useless. Some of his statements also are very summary and 

 many species are not even mentioned. I have not found it prac- 

 ticable therefore to adopt his proposed new genera, though I have no 

 doubt they are destined to come into use when the numerous spe- 

 cies of Asterinidae are carefully revised. Meanwhile I use Asterina 

 in its old broad sense. I regret to have to add two new species 

 and a new variety to this mass of undigested material but there 

 seems to be no other course open. Another new species is a small 

 but interesting Anseropoda. Sladen (1889, CHALLENGER Ast, p. 390) 

 records Asterina gunmi Gray from the Cape of Good Hope but I 

 feel sure this is a mistake and I therefore omit that species from 

 the present list. The fourteen forms included are separable as 

 follows : 



Key to the South African Species of Asterinidae. 



Body not very flat and thin; r = 1-252 v. d. at center of disk. 

 R 1'8 r or more, usually more than 2 r. 



Actinal intermediate plates, at least near mouth, each with 5 or more spines. 

 Abactinal plates not imbricated, covered with spines 



Parasterina bellula. 

 Abactinal plates more or less imbricated. 



Actinal intermediate plates, each with a cluster of 8 15 spines 



Asterina penicillaris. 



Actinal intermediate plates, each with 5 11 spines in a single, 

 or rarely double, transverse series. 



Abactinal plates closely covered with minute, crowded 

 spinelets ..... Asterina granifera. 

 Abactinal plates relatively bare, the spinelets scattered, 

 frequently marginal or in a single transverse series 



Asterina granifera var. sporacantha. 

 Actinal intermediate plates, each with 1 4 spines. 



Abactinal plates with 5 or more spines and often in addition a tuft 

 of 2 4 stouter spines having a common base Asterina coronata. 

 Abactinal plates not as above . . . Asterina burtonii. 



R = 1-251-8 r, only very rarely 2 r. 



