ASTEROIDEA 261 



Smilasterias scalprifera Sladen 



Asterias {Smilasterias) scalprifera Sladen, 1889, p. 578, pi. 100, figs. 4-6; pi. 103, figs. 1-2. 

 Smilasterias scalprifera Fisher, 1930, p. 239. 



St. 1562. OflF Marion Island, 46° 52' S, 37° 55' E, 97-104 m., 4 specimens. 



St. 1563. OflF Marion Island, 46° 48-4' S, 37° 49-2' E, 101-106 m., i specimen. 



St. 1564. Off Marion Island, 108-113 m., i specimen. 



St. WS 85. (Specimen adrift in sorting; near this station.) Falkland Islands, 52° 09' S, 58° 14' W, 

 79 m., sand and shell, i specimen. 



St. WS 93. West Falkland Island, 51° 51' S, 64° 45' W, 108-109 m., fine dark sand and stones, 

 I specimen. 



St. WS 99. Falkland Islands, 49° 42' S, 59° 14' 30" W, 251-225 m., fine dark sand. 



St. WS 214. North of Falkland Islands, 48° 25' S, 60° 40' W, 208 m., i specimen. 



St. WS 246. Falkland Islands, 52° 25' S, 61° W, 267-208 m., coarse green sand, pebbles, 

 I specimen. 



St. WS 824. Falkland Islands, 52° 29^' S, 58° 27^ W, 146-137 m., 4 specimens. 



St. WS 825. Falkland Islands, 50° 50' S, 57° 15^' W, 135-144 m., 7 specimens. 



This species has heretofore been known only from off Marion and Heard Islands. Its 

 capture in the Falkland region, already fairly well explored by the dredge, indicates the 

 part which chance plays in deep water collecting. 



The largest specimen, from St. 1564, measures R 51 mm., r 8-10 mm., br 10 mm. 

 A characteristic of the species is the presence of a series of small actinal plates, extending 

 ordinarily to about the middle of ray, and corresponding to the inferomarginals. Each 

 carries a chisel-shaped spine which is the innermost of the characteristic ventrolateral 

 oblique series. In the specimen from 1564 there are 6 or 7 spines in these combs except 

 near end of ray where there are 5, then 4. In this particular specimen the first 5 or 6 

 actinal plates carry 2 spines. The first 4 or 5 adambulacral plates carry 2 spines, the next 

 3 have 3 spines; then over most of the ray there are 4, and near end of ray, again 3. 

 Specimens smaller than the above (Sts. 1562, 1563, WS 825) have 3 adambulacral spines 



as a rule. 



Specimens from the Falkland region, of which the largest measures R 40 mm., 

 r 7 mm., br 8 mm., appear to be typical scalprifera. 



The scattered crossed pedicellariae which in form and dentation are not peculiar to 

 the genus have small teeth and measure o-27-o-32 mm. In side view they are rather 

 broadly ovate, the toothed terminal part of jaw occupying one-fourth total length. There 

 are 3 or 4 shank teeth. The lanceolate straight pedicellariae have the tips of jaws slightly 

 crossed and are upward of 0-85 mm. long and 0-35 mm. broad. The great majority are 

 larger than the crossed pedicellariae, whereas in triremis the two sorts are subequal. In 

 the actinal interradial areas are 1-4 lanceolate straight pedicellariae similar to the others 

 but larger (i-i-2 mm. long). 



Distribution. Off Marion Island, 50 fathoms and Heard Island, 75 fathoms; 

 Falkland Islands, 79-267 m. 



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