78 Bulletin, Vanderbilt Marine Museum, Vol. IV 



Material examined: One specimen from Webb Cove, Albemarle 

 Island, Galapagos Islands, February 3, 1926 ; Cat. no. 275. 



Color : Dr. Robert Coker 's field notes, made on Peruvian specimens, 

 state that in life this starfish is ' ' dorsally of a mouse color with many 

 dark specks. Below yellowish white." 



Habits and life history: Unrecorded. 



Technical description : Eays five, regularly tapered ; R = 97 mm., 

 r = 19 mm. The abactinal surface of the disk is flat, of moderate 

 size. The paxillae of the disk and median region of the rays are 

 small, the tabulae irregularly circular, becoming angular at the mar- 

 gins. The margin of each tabulum bears 10 to 14 short spinelets inside 

 of which are 4 to 10 short, stout, blunt spinelets. Along each side 

 of the ray are three longitudinal rows of larger paxillae, each of 

 which tend to squarish or rectangular outline. There are numerous 

 large, circular pores, rather regularly spaced on the abactinal surface. 

 The inferomarginal plates bear each three spines, the uppermost of 

 which is distinctly shorter than the lower two, each of which is long, 

 slender, acuminate, forming a distinct marginal fringe. On the actinal 

 surface the inferomarginals are well separated from each other; they 

 bear a median series of 10 to 12 longer spinelets on either side of 

 which there is a double row of shorter spines along the transverse 

 margin of each plate. The adambulacral plates bear usually four, 

 occasionally three to five, large spines ; the innermost one being long, 

 slender, curved, well down towards the furrow, followed by a second, 

 similar, but stouter spine, these two in single file, while the third 

 and fourth spines are paired beside each other, not in line with the 

 others, straight and a little smaller than the second spine. There are 

 sometimes one or two spinelets also on the lateral margin of these 

 plates. There are ten to twelve long slender teeth clustered at each 

 jaw angle. The madreporic plate is small, subcircular, sculptured by 

 fine radiating lines and situated well down in the interradial angle. 

 References: Petalaster Columbia J. E. Gray, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., 



vol. 6, p. 183, 1840. 

 Luidia tessellata C. F. Lutken, Vidensk. Meddelel., p. 40, 1859. — 

 Verrill, Trans. Conn. Acad. Arts and Sci., vol. 1, p. 271, 1867. 

 Petalaster columbiae Verrill, op. cit., p. 272. 



Luidia columbiae E. Perrier, Arch. Zool. Exper., vol. 5, p. 253, 1876. 

 — Sladen, Sci. Rept. Voy. "Challenger," Asteroidea, vol. XXX, 

 p. 247, 1889. 



