REPORT ON THE ASTEROLDEA. 537 



Chorology of the Genus Acanthaster. 

 o. Geographical distribution : — 



Indian Ocean : One (or perhaps two) species between the parallels of 30° N. 

 and 30° S. 



* Acanthaster echinites and Acanthaster mauritiensis from Mau- 

 ritius, the former also from the Red Sea, and extendino- into the 

 Eastern Archipelago and the Pacific. 



Eastern Archipelago : One species between the parallels of 20° N. and 20° S. 

 '"Acanthaster echinites, from the Philippine Islands, the Moluccas, 

 and other islands in the archipelago, and extending into the Indian 

 Ocean and the Pacific. 



Pacific : Three (?) species between the parallels of 30° N. and 55° S. 



'■'Acanthaster echinites, from the Fiji Islands, and extending into 

 the Eastern Archipelago and Indian Ocean. Acanthaster ellisii, 

 from the Galapagos Islands and coast of California ; also from New 

 Hanover and New Britain (fide Studer). Acanthaster Solaris, 

 from the Strait of Magellan. 



/S. Bath y metrical range : Confined to the Littoral zone so far as at present known. 



y. Nature of the Sea-bottom: Recorded in very few cases; Acanthaster echinites 

 inhabits coral reefs. 



The species collected by the Challenger is indicated by an asterisk in the above list. 

 Chorological Sipwpsis of the Species herein mentioned. 



1. Acanthaster echinites (Ellis and Solander), Lutken. 



Asterias echinites, Ellis and Solander, 1786, Nat, Hist. Zooph., tab. lx., lxi., lxii. 



Stellonia echinites, Agassiz, 1835, Mem. Soc. Sci. Nat. Neuchatel, t. i. p. 192. 



Echinaster Ellisii (? pars), Gray, 1840, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., vol. vi. p. 281. 



Acanthaster echinus, Gervais, 1841, Diet. Sci. Nat., suppl., t. i. p. 474. 



Echinaster Solaris, Miiller and Troschel, 1842, System der Asteriden, p. 25. 



Acanthaster echinites, Lutken, 1871, Videnskab. Medd. naturh. Foren. i Kjobenhavn/p. 292. 



(ZOOL. CHAIX. EXP. — PART LI. — 18S8.) 68 



