ASTEROIDEA 237 



Anasterias minuta Perrier 



(Plate XIX, fig. 4) 



Anaterias minuta Perrier, 1875, p. 81 ; 1891, p. 93 (in part). — Fisiier, 1930, p. 223; 1931, p. 6, pi. 6, 



pi. 7, figs. I, 2. 

 }Asteroder??ia papillosum Perrier, Comptes Rendus, cvi, 1888, p. 765; 1891, p. 96. 

 }Asterias minuta var. Asteroderma papillosum Perrier, 1891, pi. 10, figs. 3^-3^. 

 Sporasterias pedicellaris, part, Koehler, 1923, p. 18. 



St. 53. Port Stanley, East Falkland Island, 0-3 m., 4 specimens. 



St. 55. Entrance to Port Stanley, East Falkland Island, 10-16 m., 7 specimens. 



St. 58. Port Stanley, East Falkland Island, 1-2 m., i specimen. 



The specimens range in size from R 8 mm., r 4 mm. to R 37 mm., r 10 mm. All 

 have a thick pulpy skin which is subdivided into small unequal areas by deep creases. 

 These soft cushions of skin are not essentially different from the more inflated " pustules " 

 of the skin of Lysasterias perrieri which the specimens somewhat resemble. 



The abactinal surface has a very few scattered small spinelets and crossed pedicellariae 

 placed here and there, but these, as well as the underlying skeleton, are completely hidden 

 unless dried. Only a few superomarginal spinelets are present as rudiments here and 

 there, but a double series of well-developed inferomarginal spines occurs on the ventro- 

 lateral border of ray. Between these and the single series of adambulacrals is a longiseries 

 of large single papulae. Intermarginally there are very large papulae, 2 or 3 to an area, 

 and a series of large ones above the superomarginal plates, but on the rest of the 

 abactinal area they are difficult to differentiate from the pustules. On the abactinal 

 plates interradially, on the superomarginals, inferomarginals, along actinal groove, and 

 on furrow face of the adambulacrals is a quite variable number of conspicuous, elongate, 

 stout, lanceolate straight pedicellariae. Only a very few crossed pedicellariae are 

 scattered on the marginals. In the smallest specimen there is a superomarginal spinelet 

 to each plate, and to each ray about 12 abactinal spinelets, which are definitely longer 

 than the crossed pedicellariae, papulae, and intervening folds of skin. There are no 

 actinal papulae as yet, but large intermarginal ones are present. This specimen has about 

 the same spine development as the type specimen. 



The abactinal skeleton is weak and incomplete, but there is variation in the incom- 

 pleteness. In a specimen having R 24 mm. it consists of a short tongue of 1-3 small 

 ossicles extending mesially from the dorsal lobe of each superomarginal. Between these 

 2 lateral series are unevenly scattered independent plates, or 2 or 3 in series discon- 

 nected from the rest. The vestiges of the carinal series are present on outer half of ray. 

 Such a skeleton is obviously identical with what is found in some specimens of Lys- 

 asterias. Another specimen of mi?iuta has a wide meshed skeleton of slender ossicles 

 consisting chiefly of carinal plates and complete or interrupted sinuous transverse series 

 which extend mesially from the superomarginals. On the distal half of ray, the skeleton 

 is less connected than proximally. This specimen represents the condition of skeleton of 

 the type specimen, of which mention has been made under the genus. 



