WEST INDIAN STARFISHES 133 



The localities where it was taken by the Blake, as recorded by 

 Perrier, were mostly in the Gulf of Mexico, off West Florida and 

 Alabama, in 84 to 229 fathoms. I have also seen it from station 

 158 (?), off Montserrat, in 147 or 148 fathoms. 



It was taken by the Albatross at several stations in the West 

 Indies, among others at station 2125, in 208 fathoms, off Cura- 

 coa, No. 10,109, Nat. Mus. (See plate xiv, fig. 3.) 



By the Bahama Expedition it was taken at stations 31, 35, 61, 

 off Key West, Fla., in 75 to 100 fathoms (see plate xix, fig. 2) ; 

 and at station 2, off Havana, in 110 fathoms. (See plate xiv, 

 fig. 2.) 



Cheiraster planus Verrill, sp. nov. 

 Plate xviii; figure 2. Type. 



Of this species I have seen but one specimen (No. 18469, Nat. 

 Mus.). 



The disk is rather wide for the genus and the rays long, be- 

 coming very slender distally. Radii are 13™°* and 92™°^ ; ratio, 

 1 :7. Marginal plates, 39. Radius of disk is equal to five and 

 one-half proximal plates. Paxillar area is equal to three times 

 the breadth of second marginal plate. 



The superomarginal plates of the rays are rather large, some- 

 what convex, forming a thick but not wide somewhat raised 

 border. They are rather rhomboidal with oblique sutures and 

 alternate with the lower ones. 



Each bears a rather long, slender, terete, regularly tapered, 

 acute spine, in length about equal to two plates; that on the 

 fourth plate not much larger than the following; those on the 

 second and third are somewhat smaller ; the first very small. 

 Rest of the plate nearly uniformly covered with very small, 

 slender, acute, spaced spinelets; the sutures are fasciolated with 

 more slender spinules. 



Inferomarginal plates have a similar marginal spine, but with 

 one or two secondary spines, not half as long, below it on the 

 proximal plates; elsewhere the surface is covered with acute 

 spaced spinelets, larger than those on upper plates, grading 

 downward to short appressed conical forms. About sixteen prox- 

 imal adambulacral plates correspond to the first ten inferomar- 

 ginals. 



