ASTEKOIDEA OP NORTH PACIFIC AND ADJACENT WATEBS — FISHER. 329 



Spcdlnens 0/ Solatia- papponu examined — CoD(iDue<l. 



Remarls. — This species is the type of the genus Crossaster Miillcr and Troschel, 

 1840, recognized by Shidcn, Perrier, Ludwig, Koehler, and numerous other writers. 

 Orossastcr difTei-s from typical Solaster (as for example, endeca) in having the abac- 

 tinal skeleton a reticulate structure with large spaces, the penicillate paxilla; being 

 correspondingly rather widely spaced. The pa|)uliv arc numerous in each area. In 

 So^ifr the skeleton consists of stellate plates forming a close reticulation, the papulae 

 are few or isolated, and the paxilla; small and more crowded. These dilTerences are 

 not constant. OrossasUr squamatus," which by some writers is regarded as a variety 

 of papposus, does not conform to the generic diagnosis, for the abactinal plates are 

 closely placed, with isolated j)apula", and are less reticulate in arrangement than sev- 

 eral species of true Solaster. Solasi( r borealis was first tiescribed i\v me as Crossastfr; 

 the young are obviously Solasttr, while the large specimens would be classetl as 

 Orossaster. The difference in the paxillfC is all that is left to distinguish Orossastcr 

 from Solaster. Even here the divergence is not nearly so great as indicated iiy 

 such extremes as papposus and endeca. Intermediate species with skeleton of 

 Orossaster and the paxillic of SoJasttr, as well as the two types of skeleton in such 

 gbviouslj' close relatives as papposus uml squamatus, baffle any attempt to make two 

 gciu^ric groups. Wiether it is convenient to retain Orossaster as n subgenus depends 

 upon the-importance attucheil to such a group. It would seem that the same objec- 

 tions apply here also. 



Japanese specimens. — PI. '.).">, figs. 1 and 2; pi. 11,'?, fig. 4. In Japanese waters 

 there is a representative species in general ap|>earancc resembling j>apposua, but 



Sec Grjep, 1906, pi. 1, fip". A and .'<, and text, fig. 7 (1-3). 



