ASTEROIDEA OF NORTH PACIFIC AND ADJACENT WATERS — FISHER 



93 



Distribution. — Off California, from vicinity of San Diego to Point Arena, and 

 from 207 to 369 fathoms, mud; temperature range, 41.3° to 44.1° F. ; two records 

 from under 100 fathoms open to doubt. 



Specimens examined. — One hundred and fifty-one. 



Specimens of Rathbunasler californicus examined 



Sta- 

 tion 



2892 

 2925 

 2927 

 3186 

 3199 

 3205 

 3349 

 3350 

 4339 

 4340 



4341 



4363 



Locality 



Santa Barbara Channel, Calif 



Ofl San Diego, Calif. 



do 



Off Point Sur, central California 



Santa Barbara Channel 



Off Monterey Bay _ 



Off Point Arena, Calif- 



do 



Off San Diego Calif 



Ofl Los Coronados Islands, vicinity San Diego, 



Calif. 

 do 



Ofl San Diego, Calif.. 

 Off Santa Cruz, Calif- 



Depth 



284 



339 



313 



328 



233 



240 



239 



75 



287-369 



46-87 



266-323 



207-348 

 about 300 



Nature of bottom 



Yellow mud 



Mud 



Green mud 



Black sand; mud. 



Green mud 



Black sand; rocks 



Black sand 



Fine sand; mud 



Green mud 



Fine gray sand, black 



specks. 

 Gray sand, black 



specks. 

 Green mud; fine sand. 

 Mud and shale 



Bottom 

 temper- 

 ature 



44.1 

 42.9 

 43.3 

 41.3 

 43.9 

 43.7 

 41.1 

 48.4 

 41.5 



42. 

 42.8 



Num- 

 ber of 

 speci- 

 men 



Collection 



D.S.N.M. 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 

 Albatross, 1904. 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 



StanfordcolL.E.F. 

 Ricketts from 

 cod fishermen. 



Remarks. — Several live specimens captured in about 300 fathoms off Santa 

 Cruz and presented to the Hopkins Marine Station by Mr. E. F. Ricketts were kept 

 in an aquarium for a week in water about 12 degrees higher than the 42 or 43 degrees 

 Fahrenheit to which they were accustomed at their normal depth. These specimens 

 were kept in subdued light and were fairly active. Small crabs and shrimps allowed 

 to fall on the abactinal surface were instantly seized and held by the numerous batter- 

 ies of crossed pedicellariae of the spine sheaths. In some cases the prey was then 

 seized by the tube-feet and carried rapidly to the mouth. In others the victims suc- 

 ceeded in escaping. Doubtless in normal circumstances this species reacts as quickly 

 and vigorously as Pycnopodia. The absence of a connected abactinal skeleton con- 

 fers a high degree of flexibility to the rays. In the case of polybrachiate species 

 this is also correlated with great speed for the class. 



Subfamily Coscinasteriinae Fisher 

 Coscinasierilnae Fisher, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 9, vol. 12, 1923, p. 249. 

 The carina!, the conspicuous marginal, and the actinal plates arranged in regular 

 longiseries; carinals, dorsolaterals (sometimes also in regular longiseries), and supero- 

 margiuals may carry a single, stout or slender, smooth or fluted, sharp or blunt, 

 prominent, spikelike spine (sporadically two or three), provided with a collar of 

 crossed pedicellariae; inferomarginals regularly with two prominent spines (sporadi- 

 cally three); one series of actinal plates (in one case rudimentary) ; adambulacral 

 spines one or two, always without attached pedicellariae, but these may occur on oral 

 spines; gonads open dorsally; some genera fissiparous; never paedophoric. 

 64406—28 7 



