ASTKKoidka OF NORTH PACIFIC \M> UXJACEN1 WATCRS PI8HER 



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For purposes of geographic analysis, Perrier'a Asttriat borealit from ( aribou 

 [aland, Labrador (pi 35, fig. 8), can ►><• retained to designate the southern rat ■•• of 

 A 1 1 m ii 1 1. pclaria. Pernor's specimen was derived from the Museum of Comparative 

 Zofilogy, which still possesses topotypee (No. 1307 Ii is doubtful, however, if this 

 race is of anj practical value, for it- differentiation is based upon ahgh' differei 

 in pedicellariae. In the crossed pedicellariae as Been from the side (pi. 30, figs, 2, 2a 

 2d tlic terminal lip docs ool extend so far down on the -hunk in the southern as in 

 northern examples, A similar latitudinal variation is apparent in /.. pdaria act 

 hikI /. pclaris katherinat The specimens from the very cold urea of the Grand Banks 

 me intermediate between polaris and borealis, but a giant specimen from Western 

 Bank (resembling the type of /. aearvata forma aphdonota) has pedicellariae of I 

 alis (PL 30, fig 



Among the specimens of /. polaris borealis, one from Caribou Island ami one 

 from Gaspe, Quebec (M. C. / ., Nos.j 1307, 1308, pi. 35, ngs. 1,2), are remarkable for 



having longer and re widerj Bpaoed spines. In the Gaspe* example iK 150 mm.) 



the spines are conical, ;> to 4 mm. long, spaced their length "i more apart, and along 

 the radial line sometimes aggregated in groups, of which the central is largest, other 



imens have well spaced but shorter and subcapitate spine- h is these latter 

 that resemble L. htitfierinne; while the Gaspe* example would correspond to a poorly 

 developed L. coei. 



To summarize, the following divisions of L. polaris are recognizable: 



/. polarU /"ilnris, high arctic waters of eastern North America. 



L. polaris borealis, a very slightly differentiated southern form of the above 



/.. polaris aesrvata, Arctic Ocean, Bering Sea, and region immediately south of 



Alaska Peninsula. 



I. polaris lcaiherinae, olf Washington, probably intergrading \\\ih above 

 Verrill discarded the name polaris since the combination Asitrias polaris (Muller 



and Troschel), L842, was antedated by Asterins polaris Sabine, 1NJ4 (for ('it 



crupatas), Muller and Troschel, however, described the specie, as Asteraeaitfkion 

 polaris. On account of the structure of its gonads, which ..pen ventrally, polaris is 

 more naturally classified iu Leplasterias. The specific name polaris is therefore ten- 

 able, so long as it i- no) combined with A 



ciment »/ Leptasteriat polaris txamiiud 



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