40 THE ECHINODERMS OF TORRES STRAIT. 
In 1916 I described from the southern coast of Australia a large species, F. 
polypora, but I am now making it the type of the new genus, Austrofromia (p. 48). The 
Museum of Comparative Zodlogy collection contains a number of Fromias whose identi- 
fication has been a source of some difficulty. One from the Gilbert Islands, together 
with a similar one from Hawaii, represents a new species which I describe beyond under 
the name pacifica (p. 42). A specimen from the Philippine Islands also seems to belong 
to an undescribed species which I am calling hadracantha (p. 45). A number of specimens 
taken at Mer represent a very well-marked and handsome species which I have named 
elegans (p. 43). Finally, there are two small specimens from Samoa which may represent 
a new species, but which I believe are probably the young of monilis. 
Perrier’s F. mexicana, a nomen nudum of his Blake report (1884, p. 172 and p. 184), 
is not a Fromia, as might have been guessed from the West Indian locality. The holotype 
lies before me; it is a goniasterid, too young for determination. The F. pistoria of Perrier 
(1881, p. 15) is identical with mulleporella; at any rate in 1875 (p. 173 or 357) Perrier con- 
sidered Scytaster pistorius Miller and Troschel and Linckia pistoria von Martens as identi- 
cal with milleporella. It is perfectly evident, however, from the paragraph in which the 
name F’, pistoria is used, that Perrier was not using it as synonymous with mulleporella, 
but it is obviously impossible to determine now what he had in mind. 
As here restricted, the genus Fromia includes a dozen species of small sea-stars finding 
their center of abundance in the East Indian region but extending eastward to Hawaii 
and westward to the Red Sea and Madagascar. Excepting only F. andamanesis, which is 
said to have been taken at a depth of 238 to 290 fathoms, but shows no corresponding 
peculiarity in its structure, the species occur on reefs and reef-flats in shallow water and 
even up to and above low-water mark. Judging from the species found at Mer, they occur 
on the under side of coral slabs and rock fragments. The coloration is notably pretty in 
life, but fugacious after death. 
The species may be distinguished from each other when adult, as indicated in the 
key on the preceding page, but young specimens (R=20 mm. or less) will usually fall in 
group BB, since they do not develop their actinolateral plates and papule until after 
they are half grown. 
Fromia milleporella. 
Asterias milleporella Lamarck. 1816. Anim. s. Vert. 2, p. 564. 
Fromia milleporella Gray. 1840. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., 6, p. 286.—De Loriol, 1885. L’Ile Maurice Stell., 
p. 44, pl. xvi, figs. 2-4. 
Fromia pistoria Perrier. 1881. Bull. M. C. Z., 9, p. 15. 
(Plate 7, Figures 4 and 5.) 
This pretty little sea-star is not very common at Mer and the specimens taken are 
rather small. We did not find it elsewhere in Torres Strait, nor is it known from the main- 
land coast of Australia. It does occur, however, at the Loyalty Islands and it is also 
recorded from Fiji and Samoa. The Museum of Comparative Zoology collection has an 
old specimen, labeled ‘‘Low Archipelago: U. S. Exploring Expedition.’ Aside from the 
locality, this specimen is of interest because every arm is regenerated. 
The range of F’. milleporella to the westward reaches the Red Sea, Mauritius, and 
Madagascar, while it is recorded from as far north as the Riu Kiu Islands, Japan. Gray 
says: ‘Rays 5-8,” but I have seen only one specimen with as many as 6 rays; that one 
was taken at Mer and is quite symmetrical; it has 3 madreporites. Koehler (1910, pl. 15, 
fig. 7) figures a Fromia with 6 rays and 2 madreporites, from the north coast of Little Kei 
Island, which I think must be referred to milleporella. It is very asymmetrical and looks 
as though it were the result of autotomy. Koehler says it is unquestionably F. major, 
but as that species differs from milleporella mainly, if not wholly, in the greater length 
and lesser width of the rays and in the alternation of large, swollen superomarginals with 
