ASTEHOIDEA OF NORTH PACIFK \M> ADJACENT U VI'KKs ll-MKR 19 



hn LNOM m * v.mii 

 Plate :f. Figure l; Plate i. Figun - i 8; Plat 

 Attatleritu at kbill, 1914. 



( Mp<- Lisburne, Arctic Ocean; St. Michael, Morton Sound; Bristol Bay stations 

 14). These specimens, 51 in Dumber, are referable to Verrill's 

 AUasterias anomala, the type of which, No. 3821, is one of a series "f f<>ur dried 

 specimens from St. Michael, of which I have tin. . These were collected November 

 1874, summer 1875, and August 5, 1876, bj I. M. Turner On page 67 [1 

 Verril] Btates that the Bpecies is from Siberia, probably a lap 



Two of the St, Michael specimens, in poor condition, belong to forma anomala, 

 while the third is forma amwensis. The dredged specimens, taki n by the Albai 

 air in line condition, 



I omala differs from the type form in having much thicker ami im>re spatulate 

 scoop-shaped superomarginal ami Lnferomarginal Bpines, The Bubambulacral Bpines 

 are rather heavy, in extreme examples, frequently broadened at the tip. ami very 

 definitely grooved, The abactinal spines are short hut thick, rather tubercular, 

 and stouter than in the more generalized form. They are about 0.9 t<> 1.3 nun. long 

 ami about H.7 to lis nun. in broadest diameter, therefore often fully two-third- ae 



thick as high. But among the thicker spines there are other secondary slenderer 

 on,- In form they run pretty much the whole gamut of shapes characteristic of 

 the slenderer spined varieties cylindrical, Bubclavate, round tipped, or even bud- 

 capitate; variously notched or sunken at the end, or withoul an] specual modifica- 

 tion; often Bcoop shaped. The skeleton is generally stouter than in the forma 

 aiinin n-'s, and conspicuously heavier than in deep-water examples, 



There i-. however, a good deal of variation in the BtOUtness of the ventral 

 spines. This is evident enough from a series of specimens from station- :vj:?:> ami 

 3234. Examples from station- 3304 (1), 3290 I , 3244 (1), and 3247 l Beem to 

 he about intermediate between this variety and the stouter specimens of the usual 



Bristol Bay form, as described in detail. It is worth noting that in a considerable 

 Belies, BUCh as that from station 'A2A'A, some examples extremes of the \ariet\ 



exhibit a heavj rather rigid dorsal skeleton with fewer -tubby -pine-, while a 

 minority have a rather flaccid abactinal wall with much more numerous and 



delicate Bpines. The latter also have leSB Spatulate ventral -pine- and are in fact 

 quite intermediate with normal Bristol Hay Bpecimens of that -i/e K about 

 90 mm I. 



The crossed pedieellariae are larger than in the -lender-spined forms from the 

 same region (except those from deep water*. Ait Hull pedieellariae (from specimens 

 about '.Ml nun. major radius) range from 0.27 to 0.36 mm., the majority being over 

 0.32 while the abactinal crossed pedieellariae are around 0.26 and (1.-7 mm. The 

 minor details of the pedieellariae are of course variable, and the breadth is al-o 



slightly variable, 



Professor \ < mill (1914, pi- 59, 60, 69) ha- given good photographic figures of 

 his type of anomala, and on Plate 7s, Figure :>. a drawing of the ventral Bpinulation. 

 Hi- figures of the pedieellariae are bo poor a- to be misleading. On Plate 77, 

 Figures :;, ::•/ labeled AUasterias forficvlosa by mi-take in the explanation, p. I 



