132 VERRILL 



LEPTASTERIAS yEQUALIS Var. NANA Verrill, nov. 



This name is proposed for a common, rather dwarfed variety, 

 having short obtuse rays, rather densely covered with small, short, 

 nearly even, obtuse or clavate spinules. 



The inferomarginal and actinal spines are crowded together and 

 form about four close rows. 



Common on the California coasts; Gulf of Georgia. 



LEPTASTERIAS ^EQUALIS Var. CONCINNA Verrill, nov. 



This name is proposed for a larger form of this species, in which 

 the dorsal spinules form large groups on the ossicles, and these lie 

 in pretty regular longitudinal rows, three or five, separated by very 

 distinct rows of papular areas. The larger marginal spines also form 

 very regular rows. tftc^ '^/"^ 



The type is from Monterey Bay, California. 



LEPTASTERIAS EPICHLORA ( Brandt) . 



Plate xvr, figures 1-6 (varieties) ; plate xxvin, figures i, 2 (variety) ; plate 

 LXXXV, figures i-id (details), figures 2-2e (young). 



Asterias epichlora BRANDT, Prod. Descr. Anim. Mertens, p. 270, 1835. (Five- 



rayed form. Description poor.) ? Stimpson, Journ. Boston Soc. Nat. 

 i Hist., vi, p. 528 (excel, synonyms). Perrier, Revis. Stell., p. 331 (no 



description). 

 ? Asterias camtschatica BRANDT, Prodromus, p. 270, 1835 J Middendorff Reise, 



ii, p. 32, 1851. (Six-rayed form.) 

 Asterias saanichensis DE LORIOL, Mem. Soc. Phys. et Hist. Nat. Geneve, 



x*xn, p. 23, pi. ii, figs. 3-3e/, 4, 5, 1897. (Five-rayed variety.) 



A rather small starfish, commonly 60 mm. to 80 mm. in diameter, 

 sometimes 150 mm.; usually greenish or olive on the dorsal surface 

 * n ^ e > generally six-rayed, but not infrequently five-rayed. The 



rays are rather short and plump, covered above with numerous 

 small, short, crowded spines, which are usually unequal in size and 

 mostly capitate, but sometimes most of them are more slender and 

 clavate. The dorsal spines generally form an irregularly reticulate 

 or areolate pattern, but are sometimes acervate, forming nodular 

 groups in one variety. Sometimes they are more unequal in size, 

 the larger ones standing in one or more radial rows, and not 

 acervate. The median rows may be distinct or indistinct. More 

 rarely the spines are all nearly equal and of the smaller sort ; some- 

 times they are subequal, crowded, and all of the larger sort. 



