66 THE ECHINODERMS OF TORRES STRAIT. 
At Mer levigata is the most abundant and naturally the most conspicuous of the sea- 
stars. We gathered them literally by the peck for Harvey’s use in studying the blue pig- 
ment. They are exceptionally inert creatures and never showed any inclination to move. 
Young specimens were decidedly rare and it seems probable that the early development, 
after metamorphosis, takes place near the edge of the reef in its inaccessible nooks and 
crannies. With age, the young seem to move shoreward, but remain in hiding under rock 
fragments until a third (or more) grown. They show great diversity of color. The follow- 
ing notes made at Erub and Mer bring this out clearly: ‘‘In young the blue is duller and 
deeper and is more or less lacking on oral surface.” ‘‘No sharp contrasts of color; general 
impression dull gray, quite deep above, where it is blotched with brown; paler below; 
along ambulacral furrows, blue; anal region, green-yellow; feet, transparent whitish; 
papule transparent blue.”’ ‘‘Dull green-blue above with a few large blotches of a darker 
color.”” ‘‘Colors as shown in Mr. Grosse’s figure”’ (pl. 9, fig. 1). These specimens all 
had R less than 55 mm. Adults at Mer had R =80-125 mm., but the species grows to a 
much larger size than that. The biggest one I have seen (from an unknown locality, 
unfortunately) has R =200 mm. and br 25-30 mm. 
Linckia multifora. 
Asterias multifora Lamarck. 1816. Anim. s. Vert., 2, p. 565. 
Linckia leachii Gray. 1840. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., 6, p. 285. 
Linckia multiforas Gray. 1866. Syn. Starf., p. 14. 
Linckia multiforis von Martens. 1866. Arch. f. Naturg., 32, pt. 1, p. 65. 
Linckia multifora Liitken. 1871. Vid. Med., p. 267.—DeLoriol. 1885. Mem. Soc. Phys. Hist. Nat. Genéve, 
29, No. 4, p. 27, pl. ix, figs. 1-12. 
Linckia coste Russo. 1894. Boll. Soc. Nap., 7, p. 163. 
This is a species of which I have seen no living or fresh material, but de Loriol’s 
figures are convincing proof that it is quite different from le@vigata. Nevertheless, it is 
almost impossible to point out any character or group of characters by which a museum 
specimen of the usual indistinctive color can be distinguished from a small, slender-armed 
levigata with 2 madreporites—and such examples of indubitable laevigata do occur. Owing 
to this difficulty of distinguishing the two species, there is no doubt the records of their 
occurrence are much confused, but multifora is not known to occur in the Torres Strait 
region nor on the Great Barrier reef. It appears to be particularly common at Mauritius 
and it is also fairly common at Samoa. It seems to reach southern Japan and the Gilbert 
Islands but there is no reliable record from the Hawaiian Islands. Nothing is known 
of its habits beyond the fact that it obviously reproduces autotomously when relatively 
young, and as a result symmetrical specimens are very scarce. The species does not grow 
to a large size, de Loriol’s biggest specimen having R only 95 mm. The color is said to be 
vermilion red and dusky green, but the figure given is brown-orange and green. The 
general appearance indicates the species may be more associated with corals than is levigata. 
Linckia rosenbergi. 
Von Martens. 1866. Arch. f. Naturg., 32, pt. 1, p. 63. 
Nothing is known of this species beyond the original description. The unique holo- 
type was from Amboina and had R=39 mm., =5 r and=5.5 br. It was very possibly an 
aberrant Ophidiaster. 
Linckia columbiz. 
Gray. 1840. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., 6, p.285.—Fisher. 1911. Bull. 76 U.S. Nat. Mus., p. 242, pl. 48, figs. 1-7. 
Examination of the specimens in the Museum of Comparative Zodlogy collection, 
from San Diego and Laguna Beach, California, and La Paz and San Francisquito Bay, 
Lower California, confirms Fisher’s opinion as to the distinctness of this form. It is a 
small species (R less than 100 mm.), in life mottled with reddish brown and ash-color. 
