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| GORGONECEPHALUS. 
Asterias, Linné, Gmelin, &c. 
Opuiura, Lamarck. 
GorconsecePHatus, Leach. 
CHARACTER GENERICUS. 
Corpus subconvexum radiis quinque dichotomis, ramosis 
ramis ramulosis lateribus subspinulosis. 
Os inferius, echinatum, pentagonum. 
MEDUSAHEAD. 
Body somewhat convex, with five dichotomous branched 
rays, having the sides slightly spined, the Lranches 
bearing twigs. 
Mouth placed beneath, five-sided, spined. 
Linné comprehended the species which constitute this 
genus, under the general title of Asterias Caput-Meduse, 
and in this he has been followed by most writers. Gmelin, 
however, on the authority of Retzius and Linch, enume- 
rates another species, named Luryale. 
All the species have an oblong perforation on each side 
of the base of the under part of every ray, as in Ophiura, 
from which I formerly separated this genus, on account of 
its branched rays. 
