358 THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. CHALLENGER. 
Gymnasteria inermis, Gray, 1840, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., vol. vi. p. 278. 
Asteropsis carinifera, Miiller and Troschel, 1842, System der Asteriden, p. 63. 
Gymnasterias carinifera, v. Martens, 1866, Archiv f. Naturg., Jahrg. xxxii. Bd. i. p. 74. 
1 Gymnasterias biserrata, v. Martens, 1866, Archiv f. Naturg., Jahrg. xxxii. Bd. i. p. 74 (an juv.). 
Locality. —Off Kandavu, Fiji Islands. On the Reefs. 
Remarks.—Two adult examples (presenting the well-known characters of this form), 
and one young one, were collected by the Challenger at the above-named locality. I 
have given drawings of the young specimen (see Pl. LI. figs. 5-8), in order to show the 
presence of spinelets on the infero-marginal plates, and their absence along the median 
line of the ray: a state of things exactly the reverse of what occurs in the adult condition. 
This circumstance leads me to believe that the form described by von Martens as speci- 
fically distinct under the name of Gymnasteria biserrata, is only the young stage of 
Gymnasteria carinifera, or at most only a variety in which the juvenile characters are 
maintained throughout life. 
Valuable observations on the growth stages of this species, as presented by a series of 
examples from Mauritius, have been made by de Loriol,’ who has also given figures, 
with which it will be interesting to compare those on P]. LIL. of the young example from 
Kandavu. 
It may be remarked that some variation occurs in the spinulation of the infero-margi- 
nal plates of adult specimens from different localities. Normally in fully grown examples 
these plates bear no trace of spines, but in large specimens from the Red Sea (which 
are amongst Miiller and Troschel’s types in the Berlin Collection), traces of a few incipient 
spines are present on the outer part of the ray. Also in examples from Mozambique and 
from Timor the occasional spinulation of the infero-marginal plates is more pronounced. 
I do not, however, look upon these as anything more than local, and perhaps even 
individual, variations. 
enus Porania, Gray. 
Goniaster (pars), Forbes, Mem. Wern. Soc., 1839, vol. vili. p. 118. 
Porania, Gray, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., 1840, vol. vi. p. 288. 
Asteropsis (pars), Miiller and Troschel, System der Asteriden, 1842, p. 62. 
This well-marked genus was established by Gray in 1840, and the name he proposed 
has an incontrovertible claim for acceptance. Notwithstanding this, some recent writers 
have followed the terminology of Miller and Troschel, and have used the name Asteropsis 
for this genus, but I venture to think this has been done without due acquaintance with 
either the literature or the merits of the case. The remarks which I have made on the 
genus Gymnasteria will be sufficient to indicate the history of the question, as well as the 
justice of maintaining Porania and Asteropsis as independent genera. 
1 Mém. Soc. Phys, et Hist. Nat. Genéve, 1885, t. xxix. No. 4, p. 68. 
