184 BULLETIN 76, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



The madreporic body is large, subcircular, and situated about one-third r from 

 renter of disk. 



Color in life: Rose pink, the papular areas dark sage green or maroon purple. 

 Some specimens are brighter or more intense pink than others. Those with purplish 

 papular areas are more striking than those with the more prevalent greenish areas. 



Forma PAUC1SP1NUS (Sllmpson) 



74, Figures 4, 4a, 46, Ae; Plate 78, Figures 3, 3a-3d; Plate 79, Figures 3, 3a, 36, 4a, 5; Plate 86* 

 Figures 12-16; Plate 90, Figure 3; Plate 91, Figure 2; Plate 93, Figures 1-3, 5 



The type of Stimpson's Asterias paucispina represents the immature phase and 

 that of Verrill's Pisaster papulosus a mature stage of this form. 



The principal distinction lies in the number of dorsolateral spines. In typical 

 examples these stand singly, or in twos and occasionally threes, in one fairly direct to 

 decidedly zigzag longiseries. At the end of the ray a few extra spines are added on 

 either side. These spines or small groups are widely spaced from each other and from 

 the carinals and superomarginals. Certain variants add spines here and there outside 

 the scries. Plate 90, Figure 3, represents the primitive form. Similar specimens, 

 having R upward of 120 mm. are not uncommon at Monterey Bay. Plate 93, 

 Figures 1 and 3, is the variation having the spines occasionally in groups of two or 

 three, and with a few scattered ones near the marginals. This intergrades with 

 spei imens similar to Plate 93, Figure 4, which is an intergrade with forma brevispinus. 



In forma paucispinus (pi. 79, figs. 3, 3a-3c) the spines are usually stout with 

 subcorneal, or acorn-shaped, grooved, differentiated tips. A subforma (pi. 91, fig. 2) 

 with very few, rather inconspicuous dorsolateral and carinal spines but with a mul- 

 titude of large dentate pedicellariae (often more robust than the spines) is found at 

 Nanaimo, British Columbia, and represents the extreme of difference from the mul- 

 tispinous subforma of brevispinus. This small spined variety is represented by a 

 giant specimen from station 4219, vicinity of Port Townsend, having R 315 mm. It 

 also has very numerous "major" pedicellariae which are not so robust as the spines. 

 A specimen (pi. 93, fig. 2) from soft green mud, Monterey Bay, also has very few, 

 rather weak spines, but only the usual equipment of pedicellariae. A variation with 

 spines similar to this, but with almost no larger straight pedicellariae occurs at 

 Bradley Lagoon, British Columbia. In forma brevispinus nearly as wide a variation 

 in the number of straight pedicellariae is found. 



Papulae are normally very numerous and, on account of the fewer spines, are 

 rather more conspicuous than in brevispinus. They occur in clusters interspersed 

 with groups of crossed and furcate pedicellariae, with which, in alcoholic specimens, 

 it is easy to confuse them. As in other species of Pisaster the ventral papulae are 

 long, and increase in number with size of animal. In large specimens they form dense 

 masses between the ventral spines. Verrill's Pisaster papulosus, characterized by 

 few spines and very numerous papulae, is the normal adult of paucispinus of the ex- 

 treme type. 



Supermarginal spines one. or sporadically two, to a plate, sometimes smaller 

 sometimes larger than the dorsolaterals. In the curious subforma from Nanaimo 

 (pi. 91, fig. 2) several consecutive supermarginal (and carinal) plates may lack 



