M\. \\ . K. Fislicr — Xo(es on Asterouha. o'J7 



lacral^ are «)iitt<(aiKliiif( coiniDon cliaiaclors of Spordsteriits 

 and rarastic/iaxter, and tlic gmcra aie prubably ideiiiicjil. 



Tliis agreeinftit between a genus wliicli Kcelilcr considers 

 one of the IStieliasterinaj and a group that 1 phice in the 

 Aster imx! ilhistrates how impossible it is in practice to <leliniit 

 the 8iiehaslei in;e. The Stiehasteridai seemed to be a recog- 

 nizable grouj) when Perrier and Shiden were working, but it 

 now consists of a series of superficially similar but sometimes 

 quite distantly related forms. Occasionally even the simi- 

 larity is slight. TarsasteVy for instance, is closely related to 

 FediceUasttr. 



Si'icliorelhi, Koehler {loc. cit. p. 89). — Type, Stichaster 

 su/eii, de Loriol. I have examined a specimen of this species 

 from New Zealand (no. ISo-ii), U.S. National Museum). It 

 had been dried, but, by soaking in water, the body-wall 

 became flexible, and the gonads, although shrunken, clearly 

 a|)| ear to open vcntrally, and the eggs are tew and large, as 

 in other pajdophoric species. Koeiiler {he. cit. p. 88) states 

 that he does not believe Stichaster suteri to be a paidophoric 

 form, but from the context I assume that no specimens were 

 dissected. 



1 have also dissected a specimen of Stichasfer suteri, var. 

 laviijatus., Hutlon (Auek'and Islands, N.Z.), and I find that 

 the gonails have large eggs and open venlrally. 8o also 

 Culvat'ttrias asterinoides^ which I have examined, has similar 

 gonads, opening ventrally. 



In general appearance, and in the form and arrangement of 

 ])lates, S. suteri is closely similar to C. aster i no idts, but lias 

 numerous abactinal granules (Kcehler, /oc. c?V. pl.xxi. Hgs.l-5j. 

 C. asterinoides has a more evident dermis and a few carinal 

 spinelefs proximally. The Auckland Islands form, which is 

 more closely related to asterinoidi'S than to suteri, has a carinal 

 series of short spinelets and a few scattered dorso-lateral 

 s])inelets. I think Stichorella is a synonym of Calcasterias. 



Cidvastcrias consists of small, monaeanthid, broad-rayed 

 Asteriidai having veutially o|)eniiig gonads, a rather sharp 

 ventro-lateral niargin to ray inaiked by oblique combs of two 

 to four short inferoniarginal spines; superomarginals very 

 broad (the largest plates of all), with one or two granuliform 

 spinelets ; dorso-lateral plates u-ually three-lobed in one or 

 two subregular series ; a definite seiies of strongly imbricated 

 tour-lobed carinals ; abactinal surface With only a few 

 gianules, or with numerous granides, in longitudaial series ; 

 an inconspicuous series of actinal plates. 



