EASTERN TROPICAL PACIFIC ASTEROIDEA. 105 



Stylasterias paschae,' sp. nov. 

 Pluto 4, fig. 3. 



Rays nine. R = 100 nun.; r = 10 mm.; R = 10 r. Br. = about 10 mm. 

 Disk small, flat, covered witli a rather heavy skeleton, the plates of wliich are 

 much more closely united around the margin than near the center. Rays taper- 

 ing but Uttle, quite flat, with wide ambulacral grooves. Abactinal skeleton of 

 ray made up of a carinal series of plates, a dorsolateral series on each side and 

 the superomarginal series. Actinal skeleton composed only of large, infero- 

 marginals and adambulacrals ; there are no actinolateral plates present. Carinal 

 plates longer than wide, abruptly \vider distally than proximally; the narrow 

 proximal end overlaps the wide distal end of the next proximal plate; every other 

 plate is swollen near center or towards proximal end to support a large spine- 

 bearing tubercle. Dorsolateral plates somewhat smaller than carinals, but 

 like them in that every other one bears a spine-carrying tubercle; these plates 

 seem to be placed obliquely, the outer end, which overlaps the upper side of a 

 superomarginal, being more distal than the inner end. Superomarginal plates 

 roughly cruciform with rounded ends, much wider than long; the lowest end 

 overlaps the upper side of an inferomarginal ; every other plate has a large 

 spine-bearing tubercle while each of the alternate plates carries a single large 

 pedicellaria. It seems probable that in life the spine-bearing carinals and 

 superomarginals are about opposite each other, while the spine-bearing dorso- 

 lateral plates alternate with them. This arrangement is not evident however, in 

 the present, dry specimen. Each of the dorsal spine-bearing plates, both on disk 

 and on arms, carries a stout bluntly pointed spine, 2-3 mm. long and .50-.70 

 mm. thick at base. Each spine is smTounded at or near its base by a wreath of 

 minute pedicellariae. Besides these forcipulate pedicellariae and the large 

 forficulate ones on alternate superomarginals, forficulate pedicellariae of diverse 

 sizes, but none either very large or very small, are scattered irregularly about 

 all over the dorsal siu"face. Papular areas rather large, those near the base of 

 each arm with six or even more papulae. Madreporite small, surrounded by 

 six large spines, placed near disk-margin. 



Inferomarginal plates smaller than superomarginals; each plate bears an 

 obUque ridge the lower end of wliich is more distal than the upper ; on this ridge 

 is a series of three spines (sometimes only two) of which the uppermost is a trifle 

 the longest and least chisel-shaped at tip, while the lowest is a trifle the shortest 



1 Pascha = Easter; obviously in reference to the type-locality. 



