Figure 14. — Photograph of sea floor showing abundance of Asiropecten americanus at 165 m., northeast of Cape 



Hatteras. Tlie area shown is about 4 m.' 



to two. Er=4-6.5:1. Color of paxillar area 

 blue or purple, marginals white to orange. 

 Range : 



New Jersey to Uruguay, 9 to 165 m. This is 

 probably the most common sea-star in North 

 Carolina, especially in Onslow and Ealeigh 

 Bays. Its abundance decreases north of Cape 

 Hatteras. Trawlers take it in large numbers, 

 frequently with Luidia clathrata. Although 

 often found near the outer edge of the shelf, 

 it is much more abundant in 18 to 110 m., 

 where it glides over the sandy substrate and 

 feeds on the nmnerous small organisms that 

 abound there. Wells and Gray (1961) reported 

 93 species of small mollusks from the stomachs 

 of 125 A. artieulatios. 



Astropecten duplicatus Gray 



Synonymy : 



Astropecten duplicatus Gray, 1840. 

 Astropecten valencientiii Mueller and Tro- 



schel, 1842. 

 Astropecten variahilis Liitken, 1859. 



Description : 



Form stellate; rays five, angular, regularly 

 tapered to narrow tips, high on sides at base. 

 Superomarginals form thick border, elevated 

 above paxillar area, with stout spine on first 

 seven plates of each arm; spines on first two 

 plates are largest. Inferomarginals project be- 

 yond superomarginals, forming lateral fur- 

 row felted with fine spinules. Surface of mar- 

 ginals granular. Inferomarginals with two to 



144 



U.S. FISH AXD WILDLIFE SERVICE 



