Vol. XXIX, pp. 27-36 February 24, 1916 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



NEW EAST INDIAN STARFISHES. 

 BY WALTER K. FISHER. 



The new species of starfishes* herein described were collected 

 by the U. S. Fisheries steamer Albatross during her cruise of 

 1907-1910. The type of Asterina cristata is from the Museum 

 of Comparative Zoology, of Cambridge, Mass. The other types 

 are in the U. S. National Museum. These species will be fully 

 described and figured in the final report. 



Asterina cristata new species. 



Diagnosis. — Related to A. cepheus, but with a variable number of 

 abactinal plates (upward of 50 to a ray) elevated and tubercular in form 

 and surmounted by 1 to 5 unequal, robust, pointed spines, the largest 4 

 or 5 times as long as the spinelets of the other plates, and many times 

 greater in diameter; other abactinal plates with 5 to 10 short, sharp 

 spinelets in spaced groups, mostly on the adcentral border; in center of 

 disk a poorly defined pentagon of elevated plates; at base of ray, 6 

 regular longitudinal series of papulae on either side of a radial area of 

 irregularly arranged pores. Inferomarginal plates with a conspicuous 

 tapered spine surrounded by smaller spinelets. Actinal intermediate 

 plates with a group of 2 to 4, mostly 3, basally webbed spinelets; furrow 

 spinelets usually 6, webbed for about half their length, the 3 or 4 median 

 conspicuously larger than the laterals; subambulacral spinelets usually 

 4, the 2 median much longer than the laterals (in another specimen there 

 are 5 or 6, of which 2 are enlarged). Rays 5, rather narrow, with a 

 rounded extremity. R=37 mm., r=14.5 mm., R=2.5 r; breadth of ray 

 at base, 15 mm. 



Type. — No. 689, Museum of Comparative Zoology. 



Type-locality. — Ponape, Caroline Islands. 



•New genera and species from the Albatross Philippine collection have already 

 been published in the Proceedings of the United States National Museum as follows : 

 vol. 40, May 17, 1911, pp. 415-427; vol. 43, Feb. 5, 1913, pp. 599-648; vol. 46, Sept. 30, 1913. 

 pp. 201-224. 



8— Peoc. Biol. Soc. Wash.,IVol. XXIX, 1916. (27) 



