WEST INDIAN STAEFISHES 53 



Hist., X, p. 345, 1866 (Solaster and Crossaster first separated). Agassiz, 

 North American Starfishes, pp. Ill, 112, 1887 (structure). Perrier, Ex- 

 ped. Trav. et Talism., p. 154, 1894. Sladen, op. eit., p. 450, 1889. 

 VerriU, North Pacific Starfishes, p. 242, 1914o. 

 Solaster (pars) Yiguier, Nouv. Arch. Zool. Exper., vii, p. 138, 1878 (struc- 

 ture). 



Solaster (pars) Danielssen and Koren, Norw. N. Atlantic Exp., Asterioidea, 

 pp. 42, 52, 53, 1884 (structure). Fisher, op. eit., 1911fe, p. 306. 



Crossaster (pars) Miiller and Troschel, Monatsb. Preuss. Akad. Wiss., Ber- 

 Un, April, 1840, p. 103. 



This genus includes large, handsome, multirayed species, 

 usually with a broad disk and slender rays. 



The rays are seven to fifteen, variable in each species, but most 

 frequently ten to twelve. Dorsal ossicles small, mostly slightly 

 four-lobed, sometimes stellate, usually reticulated, or in quin- 

 cunx, on the disk and proximal part of the rays, but closely im- 

 bricated near ends of the rays, and often arranged in regular 

 quincunx order on the sides of the rays. They are convex or 

 mammillate, with a central boss, and bear a stellate or fasciculate 

 cluster of slender spinules, webbed together, and usually enclos- 

 ing one or several central spinules, connected by the web, form- 

 ing pseudopaxillae. The outer circle of webbed spinules often 

 forms a funnel-shaped structure in life, or when well preserved ; 

 but the spinules are movable, and in dry specimens they are 

 usually mostly collapsed or tipped over, thus forming irregular 

 groups or pencils of small spinules, from five to twenty or more 

 in a group. 



The superomarginal plates are small and close to the larger 

 inferomarginals, usually alternating. They are frequently hard- 

 ly distinguishable from the dorsal pseudopaxillge, except near the 

 ends of the rays, but they extend regularly to the apical plate. 



Inferomarginals are much larger and more elevated, usually 

 transversely oblong, forming a rather conspicuous row. They 

 bear a large number of paxilliform spinules in two or more 

 transverse rows. Adambulacral plates usually have three to six 

 shorter groove-spines, webbed together, and an actinal transverse 

 row of four to nine or more longer spines, also webbed. 



The interradial actinal areas are small, but distinct, and bear 

 pseudopaxillge, much like the dorsal ones. 



Papulae are numerous on the dorsal surface, but stand singly 



