38 THE ECHINODERMS OF TORRES STRAIT. 
felt that the arrangement of the abactinal plates should be given more weight. So certain 
species like marmorata and dubiosa which Bell and Koehler have called Linckia will not 
be found in that genus in the present report. Next to the arrangement of the abactinal 
plates, the character which seems to me of greatest importance is the occurrence of papule 
on the actinal surface and their arrangement there. Their entire absence below the infero- 
marginal plates seems to me of great significance, and it is for this reason I have revived 
Gray’s genus J'amaria. The presence or absence of pedicellariz may be a good character, 
but in certain species great diversity is shown especially with age, and in such cases no 
reliance can be placed on this feature. The form of the pedicellariz when they are present 
is, however, a reliable character. 
The genera Chetaster and Metrodira, included by Sladen in his key, are no longer 
regarded as members of the family. With their removal the group becomes a very homo- 
geneous one. There are 11 genera in the following key not included by Sladen; 5 of these 
date back to Gray, but were rejected by subsequent writers until the revival of Hacelia 
by Ludwig in 1897; 3 of the 11 have been described since Sladen’s monograph was published, 
and 3 are proposed for the first time in the present report. Of the 11 genera, 7 are mono- 
typic and of these 3 occur only along the western coast of tropical America, 2 are known 
only from the East Indies, one is found south of Australia at the notable depth (for this 
family) of 60 to 200 fms., and the seventh ranges from East Africa to Samoa. The remain- 
ing genera are chiefly Indo-Pacific, but Awstrofromia is south temperate in its range and 
Narcissia occurs only in the tropical Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. The only other genera 
of the West Indian region are Linckia, Hacelia, and Ophidiaster, each represented by a 
single species, with a second Ophidiaster occurring in very deep water. The genera 
Fromia, Nardoa, Ferdina, Linckia, Bunaster, Leiaster, Ophidiaster, Dactylosaster, Hacelia, 
and Tamaria are known to occur in Torres Strait, and it is possible that Gomophia and 
even Dissogenes will be found there eventually. 
DISSOGENES. 
Fisher. 1913. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., 46, p. 212.—1919, Bull. 100 U. S. Nat. Mus., p. 367. 
Genotype: Dissogenes styracia Fisher. Monotypic. 
This genus seems to be a connecting link between the Ophidiasteride and the Gonias- 
teride, but is placed by Fisher in the present family because of its irregular abactinal 
skeleton, small marginal plates, and the close granulation which covers the body and 
obscures the underlying plates. ‘‘The general appearance suggests the Linckiide,”’ says 
Fisher, but the actinal surface reminds one of Calliaster. The papule are small, isolated, 
and confined to the abactinal surface, as in Ferdina. 
Dissogenes styracia. 
Fisher. 1913. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., 46, p. 212.—1919, Bull. 100 U. S. Nat. Mus., p. 368; pls. 102, fig. 1; 103, 
fig. 1; 131, figs. 1-1b. 
_ This interesting ophidiasterid was taken by the Albatross off Ternate in 131 fathoms. 
It is one of the larger members of the family, as the holotype was nearly 9 inches across. 
FROMIA. 
Gray. 1840. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. 6, p. 286. 
Genotype: Asterias milleporella Lamarck, 1816. Anim. s. vert., 2, p. 564. Monotypic. 
This genus remained monotypic until 1875, when Perrier pointed out that F. mille- 
porella Miiller and Troschel was not the same as F’. milleporella Lamarck. To the former he 
gave the name monilis and at the same time he described two additional species, indica and 
