232 DISCOVERY REPORTS 



Sporasterias Perrier, Exped. Sd. Travailleur et Talisman, 1894, p. 107, Type Asterias riigispina 

 Stimpson.— Ludwig, 1903, p. 39.— Koehler, 1917, 1920, 1923.— Verrill, 1914.— Fisher, 1922, 

 p. 596; 1923, p. 605; 1930, p. 239; 1931, p. 9. 



Calvasterias Sladen (not Pecrier), 1889, p. 590. 



Parastichasier Koehler, 1920, p. 89. Type P. mawsoni Koehler. 



Kalyptastcrias Koehler, 1923, p. 43. Type K. conferta Koehler. 



Anasterias is the oldest name for the group commonly called Sporasterias, which 

 includes, in the Cape Horn region, a number of variable and puzzling forms having a 

 weak, often degenerated, dorsal skeleton and a thick skin. The type species, Anasterias 

 minuta, is one of these forms. The type specimen is unfortunately immature, and 

 although probably not referable to A. antarctica, is obviously closely related. This 

 relationship was clearly recognized by Perrier in 189 1, in a series of 37 specimens from 

 the Cape Horn region. He indicated that the reduced dorsal skeleton was too variable to 

 warrant a new genus. Nevertheless, in 1894 he created Sporasterias for Asterias riigispina 

 {^antarctica), using its more fully developed abactinal skeleton as the criterion of 

 difference. 



In 1903 Ludwig adopted the name Anasterias for a group of Antarctic, mostly small, 

 sea stars, the first species of which was the A. perrieri of Studer (1885). Although this 

 Anasterias of Ludwig did not include A. minuta, the type, it was rather generally 

 accepted, even by Verrill, a great stickler for nomenclatorial proprieties. It was re- 

 named Lysasterias by me in 1908. The matter is of minor importance since Lysasterias is 

 poorly differentiated from the real Anasterias. 



The type specimen of ^. minuta is in the Museum d'Histoire Naturelle and is labelled 

 E 792 M. M. Hombron et Jacquinot, 1847. It obviously takes precedence over the 

 series of specimens brought back by the Mission Scientifique du Cap Horn (1882-1883), 

 some of which Koehler examined and erroneously treated as types. 



Perrier (1891, p. 95) arranged this series of 37 specimens into 18 groups according to 

 the development of the abactinal skeleton in such a manner that the first members of 

 the list have the best developed skeleton and approach nearest the characters of Asterias 

 spirabilis. The last are those which have the least development of skeleton " et qui, par 

 consequent, presentent davantage les caracteres du genre Anasterias''. In groups i-io 

 the skeleton has the best development and there are numerous abactinal spinelets; 

 in 11-14 the dorsal spinelets of the rays become less and less numerous but those of 

 disk are still apparent and on the disk is a pentagonal figure formed by the skeletal 

 plates bearing each a group of spinelets. From 15 to 18 the spines and plates are in- 

 distinct, which also means that the integument is thicker. 



The specimens examined by Koehler may have been derived largely from the first 

 ID groups of Perrier and hence have been immature antarctica, since 1 1 specimens came 

 from "Bale Orange", from whence Perrier lists a large number of antarctica (as 

 spirabilis). 



Koehler states: "Je dois dire que j'ai eu en communication plusieurs Anasterias 

 minuta du Jardin des Plantes et j'ai pu constater que toutes etaient parfaitment identique 



