A. E. Verrill — New Genera and Species of Starfishes. 59 



Art. IX. — Descriptions of New Genera and Species of 

 Starfishes from the North Pacific Coast of America ; by 

 A. E. Verrill. 



[Brief Contributions from the Museum of Yale University, No. LXX.*] 



The species here described were mostly received from the 

 Canada Geological Survey ; from the Provincial Museum of 

 British Columbia, through Mr. C. F. Newcombe ; from the 

 TJ. S. National Museum ; and from Prof. Kincaid, Washington 

 State University. More detailed descriptions and illustrations 

 have been prepared for publication in a General Report on 

 the Starfishes of that coast, from San Francisco to the Arctic 

 Ocean, which the writer has been engaged upon for several 

 years, and has recently completed, but its publication may be 

 somewhat delayed. 



The littoral and shallow- water starfishes are probably more 

 abundant on the coasts of British Columbia and southern 

 Alaska than in any other part of the world. Of Asteriidse 

 alone, there are at least 40 species, besides many named varie- 

 ties ; of Solasteridse six species are recognized ; of Pteraster- 

 idse seven species. A remarkable peculiarity is the number of 

 species having six or more rays, even in groups that are com- 

 monly 5-rayed. 



Solaster galaxides Verrill, sp. nov. Figures 2, %^ 



A broad-disked species, usually with nine or ten rays, cov- 

 ered above with very small crowded pseudopaxillse, and 

 resembling S. endeca in form and color. 



Two typical specimens from Victoria have been received 

 from the Provincial Museum of British Columbia. Both 

 have nine rays. The larger has the radii 40 and 110 mm '; ratios 

 about 1 : 2.7. It was orange in life. 



There are usually two sub equal, rather long, acute, diver- 

 gent furrow-spines on each adambulacral plate ; only one dis- 

 tally. On the actinal surface the curved transverse row or 

 comb has usually seven or eight graded spines, the two inner 

 decidedly longer and stouter. The marginal spines are about 

 as in S. endeca, but the infero-marginals are more elongated 

 transversely, and bear a decidedly greater number of more 

 minute spinules. 



The synactinal series of pseudopaxillge extends only to about 

 the basal third of the free part of the ray. They are rela- 

 tively smaller than in endeca, being here only about half the 



* By an unfortunate error the Nos. LXVII and LXYIII of this series were 

 duplicated. 



