No. 634] UTILIZATION OF ECHINODERMS 415 



fornicus (Stimpson) Edwards. C. chrondjelmi is exceed- 

 ingly abundant near the Sucia Islands. All these species 

 may be obtained by dredging, and C. japonica may be 

 picked by hand at low-tide. 



Of all the echinoderms, common starfish, Piaster, Evas- 

 terias, etc., are most easily obtained. They occur within 

 the lower limit of the average ebb-tide, and sometimes in 

 such profusion that, especially when the stars are brightly 

 colored, they may be seen at half a mile's distance. Their 

 occurrence is independent of town sites, being determined 

 by the nature of food available. Shores well supplied 

 with barnacles usually have a large number of starfish. 

 And the fact that they are abundant at a distance from 

 towns adds to the desirability of their use as a food prod- 

 uct. The parts of the starfish and sea urchins utilizable 

 as food are the gonads. During the breeding season, 

 these grow enormously, so that in the starfish the body 

 becomes twice its normal size, the gonads completely fill- 

 ing the gastric cavity. The part of the sea cucumber 

 utilizable as food is the muscles. 



Echinoderm gonads as a food commodity would be the 

 object of an industry of annual periodicity like the salmon 

 industry. As the spawning season of starfish and sea 

 urchins comes in the spring, the canning of the roe could 

 be well completed before the salmon season begins ; or the 

 making of echinoderm gonads into caviar might well be 

 done along with the canning of fish, whether salmon or 

 otherwise. The gonads of the various species of the 

 larger starfish are ripe in April ; those of the sea urchin, 

 in June, as regards species of the north Pacific coast 

 (Figs. 1-3). 



There can be no question about the advisability of using 

 the spawn and muscles of echinoderm as food, even in a 

 country where all kinds of food are as plentiful as in the 

 United States. The question is rather how to utilize this 

 part of nature's storehouse to the best advantage for 

 mankind. 



Barbier (1908) states that the natives of Madagascar 



