SHALLOW-WATER STARFISHES 155 



The rays are slender, well rounded above, and regularly tapered. 

 The dorsal surface is covered with very numerous small spines 

 arranged in an irregularly reticulated pattern, much as in the adult, 

 but on a much smaller scale. The spines are capitate and unequal. 



The upper and lower marginal spines and two rows of actinals 

 stand in simple regular rows, one to a plate. The peractinal row 

 extends to the tips of the arms, the spines becoming very small dis- 

 tally ; the first row of subactinals only extends to about the middle of 

 the rays; a few spines occur on a rudimentary synactinal series at 

 the base of the arms. 



The adambulacral plates usually bear alternately one and two 

 slender spines. The minor pedicellariae occur in clusters on nearly 

 all the spines ; major pedicellariae are very few and small. 



Specimens considerably smaller than this are similar in character 

 and could hardly be mistaken for any other species. 



Two small specimens {d, e) were taken by Dr. Coe at Sitka and 

 preserved in alcohol. The larger {d) (pi. xxii, figs, i, 2) has the 

 radii 12 mm. and 55 mm. The dorsal spines show above the general 

 surface only slightly, their rounded tips alone being visible, but their 

 clustered arrangement is apparent, and gives the surface an irregular, 

 roughly uneven appearance. The wreaths of minor pedicellariae are 

 dense and attached near the tips of the spines, and with the abun- 

 dant papulae they closely cover all the spaces between the spines. 



The marginal and ventral spines are more conspicuous, their large 

 clusters of pedicellari^ being attached lower down. These spines 

 form four very regular longitudinal rows, the upper marginals being 

 smaller than the others. The adambulacral spines are almost con- 

 cealed by their large clusters of pedicellariae. 



The smaller example {e) has the radii 5 mm. and 40 mm. The 

 rays are round and slender, rather rigid, and taper gradually. The 

 surface and spines agree with the preceding, except that the dorsal 

 spines are even less apparent and the surface less uneven, though 

 the clustered arrangement of the spines is still evident. 



The color of these alcoholic specimens is light rusty-brown. In 

 life it is usually light red. 



VARIATIONS. 



A larger specimen {f) from Puget Sound (Kincaid) has the radii 

 22 mm. and 162 mm. ; ratio, about i : 7.3. The five rays are long, ■ 

 well rounded and gradually tapered. It agrees pretty well with 

 those described above, but the reticulations made by the dorsal spines 



