SOLASTER. 



8!) 



Crossaster, M. Tr. Ber. Ak. Berl. (1840) p. 103. 



Solaster and Crossaster, Sladen, Chall. Rep. Ast. (1889) p. 442. 



Lophaster, Verrill, Amer. Journ. Sci. xvi. (1878) p. 214. 



Rays five or more ; marginal plates more or less well developed, 

 but concealed by tbe skin. External plates beset witb penicilli- 

 form paxillae, the spaces between which contain papulae of variable 

 number. 



Key to the Species 



Rays twelve or more* 1. S. papposus. 



Rays less than twelve, but more than five .... 2. S. endeca. 

 Rays five 3. S.furcifer. 



1. Solaster papposus. 



Asterias helianthemoides (?), Perm. Brit. Zool. (1777) iv. p. 56. 



Asterias papposa, Fabr. Faun. Grcenl. (1780) n. 364 ; Gmel. Syst. 

 Nat. (1788) p. 3160 ; Lamk. An. s. Vert. (1816) ii. p. 559 ; Flem. 

 Brit. An. (1828) p. 487; de Bl. Man. $ Act. (1834) p. 241; John- 

 ston, Loudon s May. N. II ix. (1836) p. 474, fig. 69. 



Stellonia papposa, Ay. Mem. Soc. Sci. Nat. Neuchdtel, i. (1836) 

 p. 192. 



Solaster papposa, Forbes, Mem. Wern. Soc. viii. (1839) p. 121 ; id. Brit 

 Star/. (1840) p. 112; Thompson, Nat. Hist. Irel. iv. (1856) p. 440. 



Solaster (Polvaster) papposa, Gray, Ann. 8; May. vi. (1840) p. 183 ; 

 id. Brit. Bad. (1848) p. 19. 



Crossaster papposus, M. Tr. Arch.f. Nat. vi. (1840) p. 183; Verr. 

 Proc. Bost. Soc. N. H. x. (1866) pp. 345 & 356 ; A. Aq. Mem. Mus. 

 C. Z.v. (1877) p. 99, pi. xii.; Dune. 8f Slad. Arct. Echinod. (1881) 

 p. 36, pi. iii. figs. 1-4. 



Solaster papposus, 31. Tr. Syst. Ast. (1842) p. 26 ; Liitk. Vid. Medd. 

 1857, p. 40; Duj. 8/ Hup. Echinod. (1862) p. 353; Norman, Ann. 

 8f May. xv. (1865) p. 122 ; Hodye, Nat. Hist. Trans. Northumb. $ 

 Durh. iv. (1872) p. 134; Pen: Arch. Zool. exper. iv. (1875) 

 p. 358 ; Viyuier, Arch. Zool. exper. vii. (1878) p. 134; Kor.Sf Dan, 

 Norske Nordhavs Exp. Ast. (1884) p. 48. 



R = 2 r (nearly). 

 Arms twelve to fifteen ; spines arranged in distinct tufts, sepa- 

 rated from one another by their own width or more ; more closely 

 packed on disk than on arms. Lateral spines prominent. Varies 

 considerably in colour ; arms proportionately longer with age. 



R = 110; r=45. 

 R= 98; r=45. 

 R= 89; r=39. 

 R= 68; r=3l. 

 R= 47; r=20'5. 

 R= 27; r=i4. 



Distribution. Both sides of North Atlantic, as far south as 

 Massachusetts and French coasts ; Arctic Ocean. To 640 fms. 



* See yar. septentrionalis, p. 90. 



