S I BULLETIN 76, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



rype.—No. 38.7.15.107, British Museum (Natural History). Cotypcs 38.7. 

 15.104, 105, 106, 109, L10, 111. The last, kindly presented by the authorities of 

 the British Museum will be deposited in the United States National Museum. 



Type locality.- -Mouth of the Columbia River. 



Distribution.— Mouth of the Columbia River; Gulf of Georgia, Washington. 



Specimens examined.— Nine, as follows: Mouth of the Columbia River, the type 

 series from the British Museum (Natural History), Lady Katherine Douglas, eight 

 specimens. 24 Gulf of Georgia, Washington, No. 1181, Museum of Comparative 

 Zoology, one specimen. 



LEPTASTERIAS COEI Verrill 



Plate 29, Figures 3, 3a, 5, 5a 



Leplasterias coei Verrill, Shallow-water Starfishes, p. 123, pi. 9, fig. Ij pi 17, figs. 1, 2 



(young). 

 Orthasterias merriami Veriull, Shallow-water Starfishes, 1914; p. 177, pi. 18, figs. 4, 5; 



pi. 19, figs. 1, 2; (pi. 75, figs. 1-ld refer to L. katherinae). 



Diagnosis. — Resembling a large 6-rayed L. tenera (Stimpson) with fewer, coarser, 

 and shorter spines. R 112 mm., r 17 mm. ; R = 6.5 r; rays slender gradually tapered, 

 well arched; abactmal spines very well spaced, coarse, cylindrical, blunt, surrounded 

 by broad mats of pedicellariae; superomarginals conical, inferomarginals and one 

 or two series of actinals, longer, subcylindrical, terminally compressed, blunt or sub- 

 truncate: adambulacrals proximally monacanthid or diplacanthid ; over most of ray 

 alternately monacanthid and diplacanthid. 



Description. — Dorsal ossicles broad, strong, convex, and firmly united, with small papular 

 spaces intervening; spines well spaced, conspicuous, stout, but not very long, cylindrical or a little 

 tapered, obtuse. They stand singly on the ossicles and are surrounded at base by large wreaths of 

 pedicellariae. They form an irregular radial row and two or three indistinct or imperfect rows 

 each side of it, with smaller spines interpolated. The upper and lower marginal spines form equal 

 regular rows, one spine on each plate. These spines are larger and longer than the dorsals, mostly 

 conical and subacute; those of the lower series are distinctly longer, especially near the base of the 

 rays. Those in the upper row bear large dense, complete wreaths of pedicellariae; those in the 

 lower row have them only on the upper side. The two rows are separated by a naked channel which 

 becomes wide proximally and bears large, ovate major [straight] pedicellariae, clusters of minor 

 [crossed] pedicellariae, and a row of papular pores. At the base of the rays are two close rows of 

 actinal spines, similar to the lower marginals. Of these the outer row is close to the marginal, but 

 with small intervening papular pores, and it extends nearly to the end of the ray. Its ossicles are 

 rounded, convex, and nearly as large as the marginals. The inner row extends about half the 

 length of the ray. Many of the actinal spines arc flattened or acuminate at the tip; others are 

 obtuse. 



The adambulacral spines on the middle and distal plates stand one or two to a plate, alternating 

 irregularly, but on the proximal fourth of the ray they are mostly one to a plate. They are rather 

 stout, shaped like the actinal spines, but smaller and shorter, varying in size, mostly obtuse, but 

 the smaller ones often acute. Toward the mouth they become longer, more slender and subacute. 

 The peroral [actinostomial] spines are large and strong and nearly meet over the mouth. The 

 two apical peroral spines, which are much stouter than the adorals, but not so long, are straight, 

 tapered, a little flattened, obtuse; the smaller side-spine is about half as long, but of the same 

 shape. They bear small, ovate, forficulate [straight] pedicellariae. The epiorals and adorals are 

 similar in form, distinctly longer than those farther out, slender, terete, and evenly tapered. The 



11 Tho types have considerable sand adhering which might be described as dark gray, as it consists of blackish and translucent 

 (quartz ?), somewhat water-worn grains. Possibly it is only beach sand. 



