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REPORT ON THE ASTEROIDIEA, 371 
Station 5. In the Faerée Channel. August 10, 1882. Lat. 60° 11’ to 60° 20’ N., 
long. 8° 15’ to 8° 8’ W. Depth 433 to 285 fathoms, Bottom temperature 43°°5 to 40°'8 
Fahr. 
Genus Lasiaster, n, gen, 
Marginal contour stellato-pentagonal or pentagonal. Abactinal surface subplane, or 
may be slightly inflated. 
Abactinal plates subcircular, covered with membrane, bearing numerous small miliary 
spinelets which are more or less co-ordinated in relation to the plates. Papuls large, iso- 
lated, widely separate, and irregularly distributed over the whole area, 
Supero-marginal plates well developed and superficially visible, covered with numerous 
small, miliary spinelets. 
Infero-marginal plates large, also covered with numerous miliary spinelets, of which 
a larger series may be developed at the ambital margin, 
Actinal interradial areas with large regularly arranged intermediate plates, more or 
less hiaden by a superficial membrane and bearing groups of spinelets. 
Adambulacral armature consisting of (1), a short furrow series of two or three spine- 
lets ; and (2), a transverse series on the actinal surface of the plate, Or the whole arma- 
ture may be disposed as a single transverse series. 
Madreporiform body small, approximately midway between the centre and the margin. 
Anal aperture present, subcentral. 
No pedicellaria. 
Remarks.—This genus is established for the reception of a small form dredged 
during the “ Porcupine” Expedition, which I am unable to place in any of the known 
genera, Its nearest alliances appear to be with Rhegaster and Poraniomorpha, and 1 
have accordingly included it in the family Gymnasteriide, although in many respects an 
extreme form, 
Lasiaster differs from Rhegaster and Poraniomorpha in the character and develop- 
ment of the supero-marginal plates, which are well-developed, conspicuous, and subequal 
to the infero-marginal plates, the two series forming a thick margin in contradistinction to 
the angular margin formed only by the infero-marginal plates in the two forms named, The 
abactinal, marginal, and actinal intermediate plates all bear isolated groups of spinelets. 
These characters might lead at first sight to the impression that the starfish under 
notice is an aberrant member of the Pentagonasteridx, but I only regard the resemblance 
as superficial. 
Although I have never seen any examples of the starfish described by Sars’ under the 
name of Gomaster hispidus, 1 am led to believe from the careful description and drawings 
given by that author that his form should be referred also to the present genus. 
‘ Fauna Littoralis Norvegiw, 3die Hefte, 1877, p. 72, pl. viii., figs. 24 and 25, 
