in the estuaries. In summer, the trawls of com- 

 mercial fishermen take many small individuals. 



Asterias vulgaris Verrill 



Synonymy : 



Asterias vulgaris Packard, 1863 (nomen 



nudum). 

 Asterias stimpsoni Verrill, 1866. 

 Asterias vulgaris Verrill, 1866. 

 Asterias pallida: Perrier, 1875. 

 Asterias fabricii Perrier, 1875. 



Figure 35. — Asterias vulgaris. A, aboral ; B. oral. 10 cm. 

 Indicated. 



Description : 



Disc of moderate size, arms five, more flattened 

 and pointed than in A. foriesii. Aboral sur- 

 face a network of narrow barlike plates with 

 large meshes, making a fairly weak skeleton. 

 Clearly perceptible row of median plates. All 

 plates with one or more blunt spines with 

 rough tips, encircled by a wreath of blunt 

 jjedicellariae. Large acute pedicellariae along 

 sides of arms, rising directly from dermis. 

 Inferomai'ginals with conspicuous series of 

 long, trimcate spines. Adambulacrals with one 

 or two long, flattened sjDines. Rr=3: 1. Color 

 reddish brown, madreporite usually yellow. 



Range : 



Labrador to Cape Hatteras, shore to 650 m. 

 Uncommon in Xorth Carolina, where it is 

 limited to tlie cold waters north of Cape 

 Hatteras. 



Asterias tanneri Verrill, 1880 



Description : 



Disc small, arms five, slender, terete. Aboral 

 spines blimt, rather large and conspicuous, en- 

 circled with wreath of small pedicellariae 

 about half way up the spine. Adambulacral 

 spines long, slender. Jaw plates long, narrow, 

 with two pairs of large, conspicuous spines. 

 Madreporite veiy small. Rr=5.5:l. Color 

 pale yellowish. 



Range : 



New Jersey to Cape Hatteras, 35 to 350 m. In 

 North Carolina it has been taken at several 

 stations north of Cape Hatteras. 



Coronaster briareus (Verrill) 



Sj^nonymy : 



Asterias hriareus Verrill, 1882. 



"near Asterias volsellata"' Nutting, 1895. 



Description : 



Disc small, rays 10 to 12 slender, elongate. 

 Aboral skeleton openly reticulate, with 

 marked median carina. Marginal plates also 

 form ridges. Aboral and marginal spines long, 

 slender, acute, well separated. Large rectan- 

 gular papular areas, with numerous papulae 

 in clusters. Spines bear dense wreath of small 

 pedicellariae. Large solitary feliped i>edicel- 

 lariae scattered on dermis above and below. 

 Adambulacrals with two long, slender spines. 



158 



r.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE 



