WEST INDIAN STAEFISHES 7 



species have not been taken in less than 150 fathoms, and several 

 are still undescribed. 



Some of the West Indian shallow-water species have a wide 

 range. A few range from Florida to the Abrolhos reefs, Brazil, 

 or to Bahia. Two or three are said to be found on the West 

 Coast of Africa, or at the Cape Verde Islands. Four reach Ber- 

 muda. None are identified with those of Panama, though some 

 are closely related. Among the deep-water species a few have 

 been taken also off the eastern coast of the United States, north of 

 Cape Hatteras, and three or four are thought to be identical with 

 East Atlantic species from similar depths. Yet most of the 

 species are peculiar to this fauna. 



Very little is known concerning the starfishes to be found on 

 the extended coasts of the Gulf of Mexico, beyond the coasts of 

 western Florida and Alabama. Mr. Ives has listed several species 

 from Vera Cruz and Yucatan. Two are peculiar to Vera Cruz, 

 so far as known. Yet there are more than two thousand miles of 

 that coast line about the marine fauna of which we know almost 

 nothing. 



That coast is almost everywhere sandy, and therefore not fa- 

 vorable to many shallow-water invertebrates, except in sheltered 

 localities. 



It is known, however, that several of the Florida species reach 

 Vera Cruz and Yucatan ; others reach Colon. I can now add that 

 one species {Astropecten americaniis) , common at moderate 

 depths north of Cape Hatteras, occurs at similar depths on the 

 northern coast of Colombia. 



The Brazilian species are here included, because several, or the 

 majority, are identical with West Indian and Florida species. 

 The Brazilian starfishes have been listed by Mr. Richard Rath- 

 bun, 13 species (1879) , and later by Ludwig, 1882. At least nine 

 or ten of the Brazilian species occur also in the West Indies. 



In this report all those species which are known to have been 

 obtained in less than 150 fathoms are included, though a num- 

 ber of them really belong to the deeper water series, but find 

 their upward limits in 100 to 150 fathoms. Doubtless other deep- 

 water species will hereafter be found at such depths, especially 

 the young. A few other deep-water species have been included 

 for the sake of comparisons with their shallow- water allies. 



