148 BULLETIN 76, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Remarks. — I have examined the types of 0. Columbiana and 0. biordinata and 

 believe that both are to be included in one species which de Loriol described earlier 

 from a specimen taken at Saanich Inlet. 



The genus does not seem to me to be closely related to Coscinasterias. The 

 crossed pedicellariae are entirely different and lack the enlarged terminal canine-like 

 lateral tooth which is also characteristic of Sclerasterias, Astrometis, Astrostole, and 

 Marthasterias, while Distolasterias and Stylasterias have an enlarged tooth on each 

 side of the jaw. The latter, however, is isolated and is as far from Coscinasterias as 

 is Orthasterias. Orthasterias has well-developed actinal spines which have the pecu- 

 liarity of carrying a tuft of pedicellariae (as do the actinal spines of Asteriinae). 

 Although the relationship is not close, all things considered, I think Australiaster of 

 Tasmana is structurally nearest to Orthasterias. 



Subfamily Pycnopodiinae Verrill, 1914 



Pycnopodidae (part) Stimpson, Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., vol. 8, 1861, p. 261. 

 Pycnopodiidae Fisher, Proc. Wash. Acad. Sci., vol. 8, 1906, p. 136. 



Pycnopodiinae Verrill, Shallow-water Starfishes, 1914, p. 197. — Fisher, Ann. and Mag. 

 Nat. Hist., ser. 9, vol. 12, 1923, p. 250. 



Differing from Coscinasteriinae in having almost no abactinal skeleton, there 

 being only weak isolated plates, and irregular tongues of ossicles; sporadically there 

 is a very feeble, interrupted reticulum near periphery of disk. Rays 5 to 24, actinal 

 plates absent. Crossed pedicellariae with enlarged, external, terminal tooth on each 

 jaw. 



Pycnopodia Stimpson, Lysastrosoma Fisher. 



Genus LYSASTROSOMA Fisher 



Lysastrosoma Fisher, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 9, vol. 10, Dec. 1922, p. 590; A Remark- 

 able New Sea Star from Japan, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 64, art. 3, 1924, p. 1. Type, 

 Lysastrosoma anthoslicta. 



Diagnosis. — Rays five, soft and weak; abactinal skeleton reduced to isolated 

 small spiniferous plates sometimes interspersed with vestigial perforated spineless 

 platelets; marginal skeleton weak; superomarginals, well separated, connected by a 

 cbain or festoon of small secondary ossicles; alternate superomarginals reduced in 

 size and spineless; inferomarginals diplacanthid, spaced, sometimes connected by 

 one or two secondary small ossicles; abactinal and marginal spines surrounded by a 

 conspicuous, tough, retractile sheath expanded distally (and bearing numerous small 

 crossed pedicellariae), that of the inferomarginals common to the two spines; adam- 

 bulacral plates monacanthid, the spinelets without pedicellariae; mouth plates broad, 

 with one pair of enlarged postoral adambulacral plates in contact; crossed pedi- 

 cellariae with a conspicuously enlarged tooth on one side of the end of jaw, two or 

 three smaller teeth on the opposite side, and very numerous small teeth on the shank. 



Most nearly related to Pycnopodia Stimpson but differing in having marginal 

 plates disconnected or joined only by secondary intermediate marginal ossicles; 

 broad mouth plates and enlarged post-oral adambulacral plates; more conspicuous 

 marginal circumspinal sheaths, the inferomarginal being common to two spines; 

 adambulacral plates not sunken below level of inferomarginals; rays 5, not upward 

 of 24. 



