130 BULLETIN 76, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



longiseries on either side of the carinal series; dorsolateral and carinal spines either 

 in three regular longiseries or irregularly scattered (ajricana). Crossed pedicellariae 

 with slightly enlarged lateral tooth on each side of terminal lip; straight pedicellariae 

 slender lanceolate to ovate, not unguiculate. 



North Atlantic (west to Iceland); Mediterranean; south Africa. 



Three species are at present recognized: M. glacialis (M tiller), having an extra- 

 ordinary range from the North Atlantic (Iceland and Finmark) along the coast of 

 Europe into the Mediterranean, the Canary and Cape Verde Islands, thence to Cape 

 of Good Hope (Clark); M. qfricana (Miiller Troschel) Cape of Good Hope to Natal; 

 M. rarispina (Perrier), Cape of Good Hope. 



M. glacialis grows to considerable size. Ludwig mentions 400 mm. as a common 



diameter in the Mediterranean 62 which is about the same as the 15 inches given by 



Forbes for British specimens. 63 Forbes records an example of 33 inches (840 mm.) 



in diameter, the largest of the rays being 14 inches (360 mm.). This record is the 



largest for any of the Coscinasteriinae and compares favorably with the giant Pisasters 



and Pycnopodias, which are the Goliaths among sea stars, both as to diameter and 



weight. 



Genus ASTROSTOLE Fisher 



Plate 42, Figures 6-8; Plate 43, Figure 1 



Astrostole Fisher, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 9, vol. 12, 1923, p. 255. Type Margarasler 

 scaber Hutton, 1872. 



Diagnosis. — Nonfissiparous, seven to nine rayed Coscinasteriinae, with diplacan- 

 thid adambulacral plates, pedicellariae on only the outer of the two inferomarginal 

 spines, one well developed series of spiniferous actinal plates, inferomarginal web 

 absent or very rudimentary. Resembling Sclerasterias but ray less markedly pen- 

 tagonal in section; dorsolateral spines well developed, in one or two longiseries on 

 either side; only alternate superomarginals spiniferous, the plates generally with a 

 conspicuous beaded area; mouth angle rather narrow; three to five contiguous pairs 

 of postoral adambulacral plates; crossed pedicellariae much larger than in Meyenaster, 

 without or with only a slight enlargement of the terminal lateral teeth; straight 

 pedicellariae medium to large, smooth or denticulate; odontophore with 2 pits on 

 outer margin as in Meyenaster and Leihasterias. 



Pacific south of Tropic of Capricorn (New Zealand, Kermadecs, Easter Island, 

 Juan Fernandez). 



Includes A. scabra (Hutton), New Zealand; A rodolphi (Perrier), Kermadec 

 Islands; A. platei (Meissner), 64 Juan Fernandez; A. paschae (Clark), 66 Easter Island. 



Genus MEYENASTER Verrill 



Plate 42, Figures 9, 9a; Plate 43, Figure 7 



Meyenaster Verrill, Amer. Journ. Sci., vol. 35, 1913, p. 348; Shallow-water Starfishes, 1914, 

 p. 54. Type Asterias gclatinosa Meyen. — Fisher, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 9, vol. 12, 

 1923, p. 256. 



" Seesterne des Mittelmeeres, p. 365. 

 » British Starfishes, p. 80. 



« Meissner, Archv. f. Naturges., 1896, pp. 103, 104, pi. 6, figs. 1 and 2. Polyasterias fernandensis Meissner (Archiv. f. Naturges., 

 1896) is probably young platti, which not improbably includes also the Easter Island form. 



« Clark, H. L., Mem. Mus. Comp. Zool., vol. 39, No. 3, 1920, p. 105, pi. 4. fig. 3 (as Stylatterias) . 



