Luidia alternata (Say) 



Synonymy : 



Asterias altermata Say, 1825. 

 Luidiu alternata: Liitken, 1859. 

 Luidia variegata Perrier, 1876. 



Description : 



Rays five, long and fragile. Aboral paxillae 

 witli 10 to 16 slender, acute spinules surround- 

 ing stouter central 1 or 2 ; some paxillae much 



sf^** 



FiouBE 6. — Luidia aliertmta. A, aboral; B. oral. 5 cm. 

 indicated. 



larger than others, with large central spine, 

 especially along margins of arms, and scat- 

 tered on disc. Two to four lateral rows of 

 paxillae larger than those on median portion 

 of ann. Inferomarginals with two long acute 

 upper spines and alx)ut three long spines and 

 many small acute ones on lower side. Adam- 

 bulacrals with three or four spines. Rr=8 : 1. 

 Color gray or light brown with broad irregu- 

 lar bands of black or dark brown across arms; 

 tube feet frequently bright orange. 

 Range: 



Southeast coast of the United States to Brazil, 

 10 to 200 m. Although not abundant, L. alter- 

 nata is occasionally taken in dredges and 

 ti'awls. Pearse and Williams (1951) reported 

 it in North Carolina waters from re«fs off 

 New River Inlet. 



Luidia bernasconiae A. H. Clark, 1945 



Description : 



Rays five, vei-y long and narrow. Adambula- 

 cral spines two, inner one flattened laterally, 

 recuiwed. One or two large, acute or subacute 

 spines on outer rows of dorsal paxillae, 

 colored brown and white. Two large, less acute 

 white spines on inferomarginals; many 

 small sharp spines on marginals and in 

 grooves between marginals. Paxillae in center 

 of rays crowded, irregular, small ; single outer 

 row of paxillae dai-k, next two rows large, 

 light, often forming distinct band down each 

 side of arm. These three rows of paxillae may 

 bear short, stumpy tridentate sessile pedicel- 

 lariae, and some bear a large central spine. 

 Paxillae with 5 to 10 clavate spinules sur- 

 rounding central paxillar boss with larger, 

 thicker spinule. Large tridentate pedicellariae 

 on columnar interactinals, between adambula- 

 crals and inferomarginals, especially proxi- 

 mally (none distally). Marginal spines are 

 long and erect, giving a thoniy api>earance. 

 Rr=7;l. Color dark gray or brown alx)ve, 

 white below. 



Range: 



Previously recorded only off Georgia (Clark, 

 1945). In North Carolina it has been taken 

 several times, in depths of 20 to 110 in. 



138 



U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE 



