ASTEROIDEA OF NORTH PACIFIC AND ADJACENT WATERS — FISHER 97 



S [lylaslerias] forreri Verrill, Shallow-water Starfishes, etc., 1914, pp. 48, 50. 



Orthasterias forreri forcipulata Verrill, Shallow-water Starfishes, etc., 1914, p. 180, pi. 62, 

 figs. 2, 3; pi. 70, fig. 9; pi. 88, figs. 6, 6a (6a is an error, since the crossed pedicellariae 

 are not those figured in the photograph of the type, nor do they belong in this genus). — 

 Fisher, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 9, vol. 12, 1923, p. 257 (forreri). 



Orthasterias leptolena Verrill, Shallow-water Starfishes, etc., 1914, p. 182, pi. 64, fig. 1, la, 

 2, 2a; pi. 77, fig. 2, a-d. — Fisher, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 9, vol. 12, 1923, p. 257 

 (forreri) . 



Diagnosis. — Rays five, long, slender, subterete, more or less deciduous; disk 

 very small; dorsal spines slender, tapered, smooth; in three to five longiseries proxi- 

 mally, three distally; heavily wreathed by basal cushions of the large crossed pedi- 

 cellariae; each primary marginal spiniferous; inferomarginals grooved and truncate 

 distally, each with a prominent tuft of pedicellariae; inner adambulacral shorter 

 and slenderer than outer which has often a truncate grooved tip; large wedge-shaped 

 straight pedicellariae with two to five teeth scattered between spines, dorsally laterally 

 and sparingly on actinal channels. R (in fully developed specimen) 185 mm.; r 15 

 mm., R= 13.3 r; breadth of ray at base, 19 mm. R varies to 16 r. 



Description. — The long, slender, spikelike, evenly tapered, bluntly pointed 

 abactinal spines are rather uniformly spaced about their own length apart or more, 

 depending upon the degree of inflation of ray. They are arranged in three fairly 

 regular longiseries but in most specimens other than young there is a lateral series 

 on either side beginning near base of ray and extending a variable distance toward the 

 extremity. In very large specimens (as Port Chester, R 290 mm., pi. 44, fig. 1) 

 these series extend about half the length of ray, and one can count five rows of spines 

 between the two series of superomarginals of the same ray. In this large specimen 

 the longest dorsal spines are 4 mm. ; space between, 5 to 7 mm. In a large specimen 

 from La Jolla (R 190 to 200 mm.) the longest spines are 4.5 to 5.5 mm. in length. 

 In Monterey Bay examples, which may be regarded as typical, the lateralmost series 

 is short so that over most of the ray there are but three longiseries. 



Superomarginal spines, one to each primary plate, are closer together than 

 carinals (pi. 44, fig. 1) and a little longer and slenderer. Intermarginal channel 

 slightly less in width than length of these spines. 



Inferomarginal spines, two to a plate in an oblique series, are about equal, or the 

 outer a trifle the larger and a Little longer than adjacent superomarginal spine. The 

 tips are slightly expanded, truncate, and typically gouge-shaped, the channel ex- 

 tending sometimes a third or half way to the base. Each spine carries a thick cush- 

 ion of crossed pedicellariae on the outer side. Actinal interradial areas very small, 

 often quite bare, or with one or two large straight pedicellariae. The narrow area 

 between the inferomarginal spines and adambulacrals is crossed by fine transverse 

 furrows (one between each pair of adambulacrals). These converge (sometimes 

 meeting) to pass between the inferomarginal combs and on irregularly across the 

 dorsum. This actinal area sometimes carries a few largo straight pedicellariae. 

 Beneath the skin and invisible except in cleaned specimens is a series of thin actinal 

 plates set with edge to surface. (PI. 53, fig. 5.) At base of ray is a second series of 

 rudimentary plates adjacent to adambulacrals. Actinal spines never present. 



Opposite first 10 spiniferous inferomarginal plates (really second to eleventh) 

 there are 34 to 38 adambulacral plates; 34 or 35 in fairly Large Monterey Bay exam- 

 ples; 38 in specimen from Port Chester, Alaska. Each plate carries two very slender. 



