ASTEROIDEA 269 



closely similar, while it will be recalled that young heterozona have the central paxillar 

 spinelet larger than the peripheral. In aciculata the superomarginal paxillae are essenti- 

 ally as in heterozona with the outer margin fused with the upper end of the infero- 

 marginal. This takes place, of course, in ciliaris also. 



Ophidiaster guildingii 



Ophidiaster giiildingii Gray, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., 1840, vi, p. 284. — H. L. Clark, Echinoder?ns of 

 Torres Strait, 1921, pp. 78, 79. 

 St. I. Clarence Bay, Ascension Island, 16 November 1925, 16-27 ^■' 2 specimens. 



The larger specimen has R 24 mm., r 4-5 mm. and conforms to Clark's characteriza- 

 tion of O. guildifigii, rather than to O. ophidiatius. 



Genus Patiria Gray 



Patiria Gray, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., VI, 1840, p. 290. Type Patiria coccinea Gray = Patiria miniata 



(QranAt) fide Mortensen, 1933, p. 257. — Fisher, 1908, p. 90.— Verrill, 1913, p. 482. 

 Callopatiria Verrill, 1913, p. 480. Type Patiria bellula Sladen. 

 Not Patiria Perrier nor of Sladen. Asterina, in part, of authors. 



Mortensen 's discovery (1933, p. 257) that Gray's Patiria coccinea was based upon 

 specimens of P. miniata with erroneous label is substantiated by his photograph of one 

 of the types. Even if this type should prove to be the Japanese P. pectitiifera it will make 

 no difference as the two species are closely related. 



This genus contains usually large species characterized by having numerous small 

 secondary plates inserted peg-like in the papular areas. They form a sort of small 

 secondary mesh between the primary plates and serve to isolate the numerous papulae of 

 the areas formed by the primary plates. A good enlarged photographic figure is given in 

 my Asteroidea of the North Pacific (191 1, pi. 62, fig. i ; see also pi. 56, fig. 8fl for plan of 

 primary plates). The primary plates of the papular area overlap by their corners, the 

 amount of imbrication depending upon age of specimen and position of plate, those in 

 the median radial region overlapping less than on the lateral parts of ray. 



The secondary plates or ossicles do not extend, as a rule, through to the coelomic 

 surface of the body wall. Each bears a group of spinelets. 



In Patiria the gonads open dorsally and the eggs develop into a pelagic Bipinnaria.^ 



Patiria bellula Sladen 



Patiria bellula Sladen, 1889, p. 385, pi. 63, figs, i, 2; pi. 64, figs. 5, 6.— Koehler, 1908, p. 632. 

 Asterina coccinea Bell (not of Gray), Marine Investigations S. Africa, 1905, p. 248. 

 Callopatiria belltda Verrill, 19 13, p. 480. 

 Parasterina bellula H. L. Clark, 1923, p. 280. — Mortensen, 1933, p. 260. 



St. 91. Simon's Town, False Bay, South Africa, i specimen, deep orange. 

 Saldanha Bay, South Africa, 1926, beach, i specimen. 



1 Figured by Mortensen, 1921, Studies of the Development and Larval forms of Echtnoderms, p. 186, pi. 33, 

 figs. I, 2, Patiria pectinfera. 



26 



