42 BULLETIN 76, I STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



LEPTASTERIAS FISHEH1 Djakanov 



... i • 20 Figun i ', fce > Figure 1 



then Djakonov, Net e Seesterne aus dem Ochotskischen Meer. I. Leptasterias 

 Sci. U. B. S. S., 10.".), p. 233. 



Diagnosis.- A relativ< l.\ large, 5-rayed species having all the spims arranged in 



ed longiseries. Rays slender, very gradually tapered, well arched; disk small; 



5 mm., r 1.". mm.; R 5.66 r; breadth of ray at base, l."> mm. Carina! spines 

 blunt, one to several to a plate, iii a prominent, irregular longiseries; on either side 

 two I.m'hU regular well spaced dorsolateral series of smaller spinelets; then two 

 marginal series, successively larger and very regular, one spine to a plate; then two 

 ai tinal series, also regular and slightly larger; at base of ray a few small intermar- 

 ginal spinelets; all with neat stoles of normal-sized crossed pedicellariae; adamlm- 

 lacrals two ami one. alternating; large intermarginal and actinal, toothed, straight 

 pedicellariae. Differing from /.. arctica, I., groenlandica, and allies in the longiserial 

 ingement of the well spaced dorsolateral spines and in the conspicuously longer 

 rays and heavier bivalved pedicellariae. 



Description. -Carina! spines short (0.9 to l.l mm.), robust, round-tipped, one 

 to three to a plate, forming a conspicuous, irregular series in marked contrast to the 

 dorsolateral spinelets which are slenderer, shorter, and stand in two fairly regular 

 well-spaced series. Outside of these there is a very regular series of similar, but 

 larger, bluntly pointed superomarginals (1.5 to 1.8 mm.), one to a plate; then outside 

 of these and separated therefrom by about their own length is a very regular series of 

 pointed inferomarginals, one to a plate, about 0.2 to 0.23 mm. long. The supero- 

 marginals arc rather high on the side of ray, whereas the inferomarginals define 

 ambitus as viewed from above, and may be easily mistaken for the superomarginals, 

 inasmuch as directly below them there, is a series of exactly similar, but a trifle 

 longer, actinals which extend very nearly to the tip of ray. A second series of 

 similar actinals extends about half the length of ray. There are thus on either side 

 oi i he carinals, two scries of small dorsolaterals, one series of larger superomraginals 

 and then three series of still larger subequal spines, the upper of which is inferomar- 

 ginal. These spines are surrounded at base by a neat wreath of crossed pedicellariae 

 (a tuft only on the inner actinals) and in the actinal and intermarginal channels are 

 fairly numerous bivalved pedicellariae about 1 to 1.2 mm. long. (PI. 11, fig. 3a, 6.) 

 On the disk the spinelets arc unequal, irregularly spaced like the carinals. 



Between these regular longiseries are longiseries of small groups of papulae, two 

 to four dorsally, one or two laterally and ventrally. 



The carinal, marginal, and actinal plates are fairly definitely four lobed and are 

 directly imbricated in series, without secondary ossicles except sporadically, as shown 

 m tc\i Figure 1. The exact form and relations of the dorsolateral plates are indicated 

 in the figure (dotted plates). 



( lenerally speaking, the adambulacral spines, which are slender, tapered, pointed, 

 and heavily laden with crossed and straight pedicellariae (pi. 11, fig. 3c) alternate 

 two and one along the furrow, except at the mouth angle, where the first few plates 

 carry one only. Adoral carina narrow, consisting of three pairs of contiguous plates, 



