104 NATURAL HISTORY BULLETIN 



distal inferomarginals sometimes bear small conical spines or 

 tubercles. Those in the dorsal series may not decrease regularly 

 distally; the last one is sometimes as large as, or even larger 

 than, the one that precedes it. The apical plate is small, conical. 



The adambulacral spinules are numerous and closely crowded 

 in three or more rows; the row next to the furrow series is 

 largest. They grade into the spinulation of the interradial areas. 



The interactinal plates are large, polygonal, and crowded, 

 mostly in series parallel with the adambulacral plates, and cov- 

 ered with coarse granules; the granules on the center of the 

 plates are often larger and may be like small tubercles. Some- 

 times a few bear conical spines, 



Pedieellariae may occur on the dorsal, marginal, and inter- 

 actinal plates, and they sometimes occur, also, on the sides of the 

 dorsal spines. They are fossate, small, high, slender, pincer- 

 shaped, with spatulate blades and corresponding fossae on the 

 plates. They are often entirely lacking. 



When very young (up to 12 or 14'"™ in diameter) there is no 

 appearance of dorsal spines or tubercles and the marginal plates 

 are few in number and granulated. 



This genus is found in all the great oceans, in warm latitudes, 

 and in shallow water or at moderate depths. The Indo-Pacific 

 species (G. cuspidatus) the type of the genus, has a very wide 

 distribution. 



GoNiASTER AMERicANus Verrill. 



Goniaster americanus Verrill, Amer. Journ. Sci., vol. ii, p. 230, 1871 (full 



description). 

 Pentagonaster semilunaris (pars) Perrier, Arch, de Zool. exper., v, p. 24, 



1876. 

 PJianeraster semilunatus (pars) Perrier, Sci. Exp. Trav. et Talis., p. 388, 



1894. 

 Pentagonaster parvus Perrier, Mem. Etoiles de Mer, Nouv. Archives du Mus. 



d'Hist. Nat., vi, p. 231, pi. vii, figs. 7, 8, 1884. (Young.) 

 Goniaster americanus Verrill, Eevision Genera, pp. 151-156, pi. xxiva, figs. 



1, 2 (type) ; pi. xxvi, figs. 1-6, 1899. 



Plate xiii ; figures 5, 5a. 



The type had short rays and a broad disk ; radii 35°"° and 

 62°""; ratio, 1 :1.8. In this there are usually six superomarginal 

 plates and seven inferomarginals on each side of a ray, but this 



