20 NATURAL HISTORY BULLETIN 



Plate xxvi ; figure 2. Plate xxvii ; figure 4. 



Disk small. Rays long, rather slender, angular, variable in 

 number. Dorsal and marginal spines are elongated and rather 

 slender. Adambulacral spines slender, one to a plate. Color 

 in life usually pale purplish or violaceous above, yellowish below. 



This species is autotomous and therefore is commonly found 

 with the rays unequal and variable in number, from two or three 

 to nine or more, but most frequently with six to eight, three or 

 four being often much shorter than the others. There are usual- 

 ly two or more madreporic plates. Sometimes it is regularly six- 

 rayed or five-rayed. It becomes six to eight inches in diameter 

 at the Bermudas. 



The dorsal plates are rather openly united and form a definite 

 median or carinal row and one main dorsolateral row on each 

 side, often with one imperfect second row proximally in large 

 specimens. Each dorsal plate usually has a rather strong, some- 

 what elongated spine. 



The superomarginal row of plates is well marked and forms 

 the lateral margin of the ray. Each plate bears one, or some- 

 times two, elongated spines, longer than the dorsals. The supero- 

 marginals are also strongly developed and have a row of large 

 spines close to the adambulacrals. 



The interactinal plates are small and usually without spines, 

 but in very large specimens some of them may bear a small spine. 



The adambulacral plates normally bear one long slender spine, 

 but in very large specimens a few bear two spines. In life the 

 color varies. It is usually some light shade of violet or pale 

 purple ; yellow below. 



This is a common Mediterranean species. It has been reported 

 from Madeira, the Canary Islands, Cape Verde Islands, Brazil, 

 Abrolhos Reefs, Brazil (coll. C. F. Hartt, Yale Mus.), Cuba, the 

 Bermudas, and West Indies. It is the only common starfish at 

 the Bermudas. 



It is well adapted, by its habits, to be carried from one country 

 to another, adherent to the bottoms of vessels. 



COSCINASTERIAS TENIHSPINA, var. ATLANTICA Vcrrill. 



Asterias atlantica (pars) Verrill, Corals and Echinod. of Brazil,, Trans. 

 Conn. Acad. Science, vol. i, p. 368, 1868. 



