512 



FOREST AND STREAM,, 



[Jtot 28, 1881 



NOTES ON THE STARFISHES OF MAINE. 



BY P. A. MANSFIEHl. 



[Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Maine State College 

 Scientific Society, April 20, 1881.] 



IN this paper it is proposed to present a few notes on some 

 of the starfishes found on the shores and in the waters of 

 tlie Gulf of Maine, with brief remarks on distribution in 

 space and time. Geographically the marine animals of this 

 State are more nearly sub-Arctic than sub-tropical in charac- 

 ter. Kcing to the north and west of the Gulf Stream, the 

 amount of heat derived from that source is relatively small, 

 and the effect on the fauna correspondingly slight. This is 

 due in pprt to the cold Arctic current which flows south- 

 westward along the coast of the States, inside of the gulf 

 stream, and reduces the annual temperature of the Gulf of 

 Mamc to equal that of the North and Baltic seas in a lati- 

 tude fifteen degrees higher. 



Capo Cod separates the species to the north from those to 

 the south sufficiently to give d ; stinctivc faunal characteristics 

 to the two regions. Of asterids or starfishes there are about 

 Iwenty-thrce north of Cape Cod, and four south, all of the 

 latter number being also common to the norther fauna. Far- 

 lOW remarks Cape Cod as the dividing line of the seaweeds, 

 writing that none of the characteristic alga' of the north, 

 with a solitary exception, are found south of Cape Cod. 



The echinoderms, to which the asterids belong, is character- 

 ized in the Arctics by several starfishes and sea urchins, though 

 there are few sea cucumbers, in temperate zones by a greater 

 number of species and a more profuse ornamentation of the 

 covering, together with higher complexity of structure and 

 function. Of the less than three hundred fca urchins in the 

 living world the larger number are tropic and sub-tropic 

 species. 



In geologic time protozoans were first created, and then 

 followed the radiate animals, including the starfish. The 

 starfish was prefigured by the flexible starlike rays of the 

 cystid, an earlier and lower radiate which existed at the be- 

 ginning of the low( r Silurian. The starfish may be consid- 

 ered as a specialized animal after the type of the pre-appear- 

 ing crinoid, which had a greater range in structure. The 

 asterids appeared in the lower Silurian, increased to the close 

 of the paleozoic, were common in the mesozoic, and have 

 continued to present time. The radiates, as a whole, com- 

 mencing with the Silurian, have increased in numbers 

 and development to the present, though some early groups 

 have lost their pre-eminence. It is remarkable that while 

 u few paleozoic genera of shells exist in present time, none 

 of the genera of the early echinodenns now exist, although 

 the latter is structurally the lower sub-kingdom. In Maine 

 no starfishes have been found in the rocky strata. An unde- 

 termined species has been reported from the Charnnlaiu clays 

 of the State. •* 



Zoologically, as has been indicated, the starfish is a radiate 

 animal, being placed as the class asteridea of the sub-king- 

 dom echinodermata, and considered in structure above the 

 crlnoids and serpent stars and lower than the sea urchins and 

 sea cucumbers. The root of the word asteridea is aster, a 

 star, and the word means slar-forrncd or in the romi at a 

 star. The contral part or disk of the star-shaped animal is 

 not distinet from the arms or rays, but merges into them. 

 Usually the Tays constitute the bulk of the animal, as in 

 the common " five-finger," but there are cases where the disk 

 fssumes greater and the rays lesser proportions, as in Cteno- 

 disens. 



The flexible covering consists of small plates of carbonate 

 of lime united by a membrane, while in the sea urchin the 

 plates unite to form a rigid case. On the under side of each 

 Tay is a groove running from the centre toward the tips. 

 Through the plates in the centre of the groove extend (tie 

 fleshy tentacles which enable the starfish to walk. These can 

 he shortened or lengthened as occasion requires, and the 

 sucker-disks which cap the tentacles, when applied to a stone 

 or other object, hold fast while the animal draws itself along. 

 The mouth is at the center below, the viscera extending into 

 the rays, Eye specks are at the tips of the arms. Over the 

 surface of the thick, calcareous skin are many little spines, 

 and water tubes which pass inward in the spaces between 

 these spinules. The largest spines are beneath, bordering 

 the grooves. 



The dental apparatus is simple, especially when compared 

 with the beautiful and complex arrangement of the sea urchin. 

 This arrangement is needed in the latter animal whose food is 

 largely vegetable matter, chiefly sea weeds, while the starfish, 

 subsisting principally on animal food, which is of easier solu- 

 bility, needs no complex grinding organ. Their food is 

 largely mussels and other shell fish. On securing a mussel 

 which may be rather large for easy disposition, the starfish 

 holdB it with his tentacles, bends its rays around the shell, 

 turns out the folds of an enormous stomach, surrounds the 

 unlucky captive and consumes the soft parte. Then the 

 stomach is packed away, the tentacles relax their hold, the 

 rays assume their normal position and the empty mussel 

 lies on the sea bottom. 



The locomotion of the starfish appears easier of accomplish- 

 ment than in the sea urchin, due to the flexibility of the rays 

 of the former. Without tentacles the sea urchin would be 

 wholly incapable of movement, and it may be doubted if the 

 starfish would be much better off, unless by progressive de- 

 velopment it should in time be able to use its rays more 

 effectively than at present. 



The only class of animals with which starfishes are likely 

 to be confounded are the serpent stars. The latter have a 

 star-shaped mouth, jointed arms sometimes forking, no in- 

 ferior grooves, no terminal eye specks, the viscera does not 

 pass into the rays, the disk is distinct, and the animal is more 

 shy and difficult to find than are the starfishes. By observing 

 these distinctions no confusion can ensue. Starfishes are 

 found from between the tide marks to a depth of over one 

 hundred fathoms, on the coast of Maine. The common 

 A steiias, and more rarely, a few other species, may be found 

 in tide pools, and over the sandy and rocky bottoms of har- 

 bors, or clinging to piles. 



The growth and development of the starfish is in some 

 respects like that of other radiates. The eggs of radiates as 

 well as of mollusks produce, after segmentation and develop- 

 ment of the embryo, free-swimming young. The little 

 planula propels its way through or upon the surface of the 

 water by means of fringes of cilia. The young starfish com- 

 mences its development in this planula on the. water tubes, 

 finally absorbs the planula, and grows into the perfect young 

 and thence into the adult state'. The egg of CribrMasanguino- 

 IrniU develops a pear shaped embryo which on escaping is 

 oblong, and has a basal constriction. The constriction deep- 

 ens, forming a three-lobed pedical. The disk becomes pen- 

 tagonical, with five double rows of vesicles. The rays form 



in the pentagon, the pedical is absorbed, and the animal takes 

 its final form. Starfishes together with crabs, mollusks, e a, 

 form in part the food of the cod and other marine animals. 



The relation of starfishes to man is by no means an unim- 

 portant one. As remarked above, they furnish food in some 

 degree to animals uBeful to lite human family. On the 

 other hand they destroy beds of mussels, clams aud oysters. 

 As a whole they appear, economically considered, more in- 

 jurious than beneficial. As ornaments to the kingdom of 

 nature, forming one of the most beautiful and instructive of 

 the lower classes of the animal world, they may certainly be 

 considered of value to man, and their absence would be his 

 loss. 



In 1873 the Uuited States Fish Commission obtained in 

 the Gulf of Maine about fifteen hundred species of marine 

 animals. Of about one-half this number determined at 

 the time, there were thirty-four species of echinoderms 

 including thirteen starfishes. The others were ten sea 

 cucumbers, three sea urchins and eight serpent stars. 

 The starfishes arc the most numerous class of the sub-king- 

 dom, as seen in the Gulf of Maine. A single haul of the 

 dredge secured over a hundred species of animals, including 

 twelve echinoderms of which five were asterids. This was 

 ou a hard bottom, in a depth of thirty-three fathoms, six 

 miles east of Seguiu Island. Dredging "is the surest way of 

 securing a variety of asterids, for the littoral or shof* species 

 are few in number. The shore species in Western Penob- 

 scot Bay are Asterias mtgiais, and rarely Oribrelli sangu- 

 inolciitu. But Tew species of asterids occur much inside of 

 the outer islauds of this bay. The Solastur, common off 

 Eagle Island, does not occur at Camden, nor do the other 

 species, except the two above mentioned, so far as is known. 

 Following are given brief notes on a part of the Maine star- 

 fishes, which will include some further account of their dis- 

 tribution. 



Anurias rulgarU, Stimpson, is our most common species, 

 and is known in common with the next species as the com- 

 mon starfiBh, five-finger, or five-fingered Jack. It is reddish 

 in color, varying from pink to purple, and hence is called 

 the red starfish. It occurs from Connecticut to Labrador 

 and possibly Greenland. Abundant everywhere in Maine, 

 down to a depth of forty fathoms. South of Cape Cod it is 

 not so common, being replaced by the next species. It is 

 worthy of note that its range in fathoms inct eases to the 

 northward and decreases to the southward. It prefers rocky 

 or gaudy shores and bottoms to l hose that are muddy, tliuris'"- 

 ing best in the clearer waters. 



It is usually found in company with the s a urchin on our 

 coast. It evidently does not object to the light a^ it is com- 

 mon on shallow, rocky bottoms. Whole beds of mussels are 

 destroyed by this aud the next species, snd the two, but 

 more especially the next, commit great, havoc among the 

 oyster beds of "Rhode Island and Connecticut. The two are 

 of very similar form, and as seen above have much in com- 

 mon. Starfishes are best preserved iu alcohol, though with 

 proper care they maybe dried quickly in the shade, or if 

 boiled and taken out when hot instead of allowing to soak in 

 the moling water, ihey will keep well. In alcohol the red 

 starfish becomes nearly white. A dried specimen from Eagle 

 Island is 175 mm. in diameter, disk diameter 40 mm., grea'esi 

 iviitUi ut mj 23 iniu. TUe per reel renin lias live equal rays, 

 but very commonly a young ray has been injured, and ttiere 

 is a "survival of the fittest," or strongest, so that three and 

 four rayed animals are common. The undeveloped rays may 

 usually be seen on examination. If rays are cut off or de- 

 stroyed new ones will grow. 



This species has two-pronged pedicellarite, instead of three- 

 pronged as in the sea urchin. (In references to our sea urchin 

 us compared with the starfish, the common Maine species, 

 HtronyyloeeiitrntuK drubm^n't «.\«, A. AgasMz, is to be under- 

 stood.) The convex madreporic body is light colored, its 

 surface in radiating lines. Each ray bears four rows Of ten- 

 tacles in the groove beneath. The spines are not fluted. 

 The longest spines, below, arc about 2 mm. in length. The 

 grooves mentioned, which bear the tentacles, arc the ambu- 

 lacra! zones, and do not bear spines as iu the sea urchin. 

 There are nervous, muscular and digestive systems, though 

 the latter has not the division into aesophagus aud iDtestine. 

 The nervous system sends filaments to the" eye specks and 

 other parts. The water-vessel system, commencing with 

 the madreporic filter, carries water to the little sacs which 

 form the inner end of the tentacles. By contracting the 

 sacs water is forced into the tentacles which are thus ex- 

 tended to some desired object. The. description here given 

 of thr organs aud their uses is applicable in general to most 

 of the following species : 



Anurias Forbedi., Verrill, the Green Starfish, is a more 

 Southern form, extending from Massachusetts Hay to North- 

 ern Florida antl the northern shores of the Gulf of Mexico. 

 It is rarely found northward in sheltered coves as at Quahog 

 Bay, twenty-five or thirtymiles northeast of Portland. This 

 place has a special zoological interest, for it contains South- 

 ern species of marine animals that are found nowhere else in 

 the State, and which belong to Southern New England and 

 lower latitudes. Among these is the round clam, Venv,imer- 

 eenaria, not found elsewhere in Maine. This starfish abouuds 

 on the shelly bottoms of bays and sounds, and, though not 

 fond of brackish water, will "venture in it if oysters are ob- 

 tainable, being especially fond of young ones when a year or 

 two old. A case is related in which oyster beds, twenty 

 acres in extent, were destroyed in a few weeks' time. The 

 preventive is to sweep the beds with tangles and destroy the 

 starfish that are brought up. 



The power of reproducing the lost parts is wonderful. Ver- 

 rill says each Tay has the power of reproducing all the lost 

 pans so that each fragment may become a perfect animal. 

 The color of this starfish is dark or brownish green, with the 

 madreporic body a bright yellow. A dried straw-colored 

 specimen from South Norwalk, Conn., measures in diameter 

 100 mm.; diameter of disk, 35 mm.; greatest breadth of 

 ray, 27 mm. The spines appear slightly larger and stouter 

 than iu the red starfish. Brownish bundles of water tubes 

 show plainly between the spinules of the upper surface. 

 Around the base of each spinule is a row of minute calcare- 

 ous points — the pedicellarise. 



ffolmter endexa, Forbes, is common in the Gulf of Maine 

 and sometimes in Massachusetts Bay, though a more north- 

 ern species. The young of this and the next species have 

 been taken on a muddy bottom, in 50 or (It) fathoms, north- 

 west of Stelwagen's Bank; also both species from the littoral 

 zone, near Eastport, down to forty or more fathoms Of 

 nine specimens of this species which came up on lobster 

 cages at Eagle Island three had nine rays, four had ten, one 

 had eleven, and one had twelve, ton appearing to be the 

 normal number. / jpeciruBn is 1G0 mm. in diameter, 05 

 mm. in diameter f tisk, 15 mm. in greatest breadth of ray. 

 The disk is relat . . 'y larger than in mterias, and the round, 

 tapering rays in l more serpentine. The color of the dried 



specimen is dull pink, and the grooves below are closed for 

 nearly the whole length by the spines. The largest spines 

 are next the mouth, on the tips between the grooves. Those 

 next in size border the grooves, and minute spines lie iu 

 clusters of about ten or twelve on the under surface, while 

 above the small spinules appear to be in close groups of per- 

 haps a dozen points. This arrangement of spines is similar 

 in cribrelbi. 



Ortmster papposusi M. and T., is common, and usually 

 found with the last, The colors of both species are somewhat 

 variable. This also multiplies rays. The spines resemble 

 some what those in species of astiHas. The colors are red 

 and purple, often arranged in concentric lines, and spotted 

 with dusters of bright water tubes. 



Critrretta mnguinoknUi, Lutken, occur from Connecticut to 

 the Arctic Ocean, on the northern coasts of Europe, south to 

 Great Britain and Frauce. Very common in the Guir of 

 Maine, from low water to 100 fathoms. Not so common 

 south of Cape Cod. This is a small and beautiful species. 

 It has five round, tapering rays. The spinules are in minute 

 clusters. The grooves are very narrow, and there are but 

 two rows of tentacles to each groove, instead of four, as in 

 asterias. The color is variable — cream, orange, purple-, rose, 

 vermilion, etc. One of the vermilion, when" dried, faded to 

 a yellowish brown. This specimen measures 55 mm. in di- 

 ameter, 14 mm. in diameter of disk, 7 mm. in greatest breadth 

 of ray. 



Another point of difference from asteriax and most other 

 starfishes is that it has no free swimming young, the egg 

 being held by the suckers about the mouth of the parent 

 until they become little starfishes. The development of this 

 species, as previously elescribed, varies from the usual order 

 It is found in various situations, but is perhaps most at home 

 on shelly or stony bottoms. The Oribrella was described as 

 early as 1776, by Midler, and has had no less than nine dif- 

 ferent names. The rays like those of Siilimter eud^a, are 

 not crowded one against the other as in the two species of 

 astertas described. 



Lcptaderiaif co/npta, Verrill, has been found off New Jer- 

 sey, in 32 fathoms; off Martha's Vineyard in 20 to 25 fathoms, 

 rare ; and off Gas'co Hay in 30 to 35 fathoms. 



SteplianaMerim ubbula, Verrill, occurs hi the vicinity of 

 Grand Menan, and has been taken east of Seguie T-ln rj m 

 33 fathoms. 



Cliiuiiliicvs cri\patm, D. and IC, occurs no. ■- _••,-. '-..•:■ | «-.v 

 hi Massachusetts Bay, though its proper hal'ii.ot. is farther to 

 the north. One haul of the tangle northwest, ,,< Soli , 

 Bank brought up ninety-five specimens of this species? It 

 is the common pentagonal starfish of muddy bottoms aud a 

 deep water species. The tentacles have no sucking disks but 

 are pointed. The diameter of one is 55 mm., diameter of 

 disk 37 mm., greatest breadth of ray 15 mm. 



Astrogonmm plwi/i/umum was found over- a hard, gravelly 

 bottom, iu 50 to bO fathoms, in company with Astertas, 

 GribreUa, etc. It is a gorgeous, brilliant-red Starfish, as 

 great as 300 mm. iu diameter. It bas been taken in the Gulf 

 of Maine, in the above depth ofwater, on Casting's Ledge. 



Crossing Astiirocoid Apes.— There appears to be good 



BvSttorfOO of crococn btl^Ltn fahe>*-gtntM<F cuid tin', < ,M , 



a fact of ercat imyjcu-tajzce to uatunilisu nljo are -.riven rather 

 freely to announcing the discovery of new specoo 

 group of aoitnals. 



Boils, i'lmples, Freckles, Jtough Skin, eruptions, impure- hlooii, non 



liiroi'u o i iff i 



fai/fi* |fag and 0/w, 



IGNORANCE IN HIGH QUARTERS. 



Chelsea, Mass., July SB, 

 Editor Forest and Stream, : 



Yout article in last, week's issue ou the pistol used by the 

 assassin Guiteau, and the general lack of information in re- 

 gard to firearms by persons presumed to be well-informed, 

 calls to mind what I noticed some time ago under the head 

 of 'Tillies," in the "American Cyclopedia," vol. xiv., p. 334, 

 which 1 think will be of interest to long-range riflemen, and 

 for the convenience of those who may not have the book at 

 hand will briefly quote : 



" It. is claimed for the Russian rifle described above < t'i n ■- 

 loff M. B. L.) that au expert will pities every bullet 

 within aspace three feet by one aud one-half feet" broad at 

 1,000 yards distance." 



The writer of the article quoted was, I believe, an eminent 

 general iu our late civil war, anil is now or lately was super; 

 intendent of a large establishment manufacturing fire ->r oes. 



He does not vouch for that part of his article which I have 

 quoted, but I am surprised that he should introduce any 

 statement of others in a work of this kind unless he believed 

 it himself, and 1 presume he did or it would not have been 

 given a place in his article. 



I will further add for the delectation of the small bores 

 that the rifle referred to has a calibre of .42. a powder charge 

 of 77 grains and a bullet weighing 380 grains. 



There must be economy of gunpowder and. lead to say 

 nothing of saving iu wear and tear ou the gun and man that 

 must commend itself to riflemen genera'ly, especially new 

 beginners. 



If the above quotation had emanated from a civilian 1 

 should not have given it a second thought, bur. <*s it was from 

 one who ought to be an authority I consider it loo good to 

 keep.— W. G. 



Illinois Sofirrkl Shooting,— Charleston, Coles County, 

 111., May 30.— Ou 23d inst. Charles Sliriver bagged ten 

 squirrels in a half a day, two and a hair miles east, of 

 here, on tlie Embarras River. He reports squirrels more 

 numerous than they have been tor several years and very 

 fat,. Shannon Hart bagged eight squirrels on 20th. He is 

 an excellent squirrel hunter, and reports the same as Mr. 

 Shriver.— A Squirbel HotTEK. 



