102 THREE. CRUISES OF THE “BLAKE.” 
STARFISHES.! 
The predominant species of starfishes belong to the Gonias- 
teride and Archasteride, families which seem thus far to have 
flourished principally during the chalk. Not only is the number 
of species belonging to these families very great, but also the 
number of specimens brought up by the dredge. For instance, 
Archaster mirabilis (Fig. 386) came up by hundreds ; it is 
pes 
3 
AMEN 
A VIL 
Lr rri 
amour 
RC 
e 
z 
Fig. 377. — Pentagonaster ternalis. $. (Perrier, ) 
a most variable species, extending from 56 fathoms to a depth 
of 1,920 fathoms. The species of Archaster are common in all 
depths of the Atlantic, and their number is great. Among the 
1 The account of the Starfishes col- lished in the “Nouvelles Archives du 
lected by the * Blake is compiled from Muséum.” 
the Report of Professor Perrier, pub- 
