120 BULLETIN 76, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



from L. aequalis f. nana of equal size. Tho latter may have slender rays, but have 

 more numerous closely-placed abactinal spinelets. The form of their straight 

 pedicellariae is a fairly reliable recognition mark, but these are sometimes absent in 

 very small specimens, and are occasionally narrower than normal in aequalis. 



Type.— No. E 1499, U.S.N.M. (from Hopkins Marine Station). 



Type locality. — Monterey Bay (Cypress Point), Calif. 



Distribution. — Monterey Bay and Pillar Point (south of San Francisco Bay). 



Specimens examined. — Numerous examples from Monterey Bay (Pacific Grove) 

 and the region between Monterey Bay and Carmel Bay, Calif. 



One specimen from Pillar Point, San Mateo County. 



Remarks. — During January this species carries eggs and embryos clustered in the 

 oral cavity of the actinal surface, and the tiny young leave the mother in February 

 either before or while aequalis is laying. The young of the latter are ready to fend 

 for themselves in late April or early May. There is thus a fundamental biological 

 difference between aequalis and pusilla. 



Pusilla is not unlikely an extension of hexactis stock southward to Monterey. 

 But unlike hexactis of the north, it is comparatively homogeneous. Inasmuch as 

 pusilla shows certain constant differences, it seems best to give it specific rank since 

 hexactis is such a polymorphic species. Pusilla. is a counterpart of forma hexactis. 



Verrill used this species as a basis for his comparison of hexactis and aequalis and 

 was hence led to erroneous conclusions as to the straight pedicellariae of hexactis. 



LEPTASTERIAS AEQUALIS (Stimpson) 



Plate 46, Figures 3, Za-Ze; Plate 47; Plate 54, Figures 1-4; Plate 55, Figures 3-6; Plate 71, Figures 



2, 2a-2c 



Asterias aequalis Stimpson, Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., vol. 8, 1862, p. 273. — Verrill, 



Trans. Conn. Acad. Sci., vol. 1, 1867, p. 327. 

 Leptasterias aequalis Verrill, Shallow-water Starfishes, 1914, p. 128, pi. 16, fig. 8; pi. 18, 



figs. 1, 2; pi. 25, figs. 5, 6; pi. 56, fig. 5.— Fisher, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 9, vol. 12, 



1923, p. 599. 

 Leptasterias aequalis var. compacla Verrill, Shallow-water Starfishes, 1914, p. 130, pi. 56, 



fig. 5. 

 Leptasterias aequalis var. nana Verrill, Shallow-water Starfishes, 1914, p. 132. 

 Leptasterias aequalis var. concinna Verrill, Shallow-water Starfishes, 1914, p. 132 



Diagnosis. — Size small to medium; rays six, slender to moderately stout, arched, 

 slightly swollen at base; abactinal and lateral surfaces compactly covered with gran- 

 uliform spinelets which form groups, aligned in more or less definite longiseries by 

 small papular areas; carinal scries conspicuous, with numerous spinelets; supero- 

 marginal scries broad with an angular or vertical series of four to eight spinelets; 

 inferomarginals with two longer spinelets; one long series of similar actinal spinelets; 

 crossed pedicellariae with enlarged, external lateral tooth on terminal lip; straight 

 pedicellariae few, small, triangular-ovate. Typical large specimen, R 52 mm., r 13 

 mm. R = 4 r; breadth of ray at base, 12 to 14 mm. (PI. 54, fig. 4.) 



Description. — The abactinal and lateral surfaces of the body have the appearance 

 of being covered with a uniform close granulation. In alcoholic specimens this 

 appears more compact by reason of the papulae and swollen sheaths of pedicellariae. 

 The spinelets increase gradually in length from the carinal toward the superomarginal 

 but are not precisely uniform on any one plate. They vary in length from about 0.35 



