WEST INDIAN STARFISHES 



129 



Cheiraster echinulatus Perrier. 



Archaster echinulatus Perrier, Eevision, vol. v, p. 268, 1876; Etoiles de Mer, 



p. 263, pi. X, fig. 4, 1884. 

 Cheiraster echinulatus Perrier, Exped. Trav. et Talisman, p. 278, 1894 (brief 



description.) 



Pectinaster echinulatus Ludwig, Notomyota, pp. 449, 45€, 1910 (no descrip- 

 tion.) 



Plate xiv ; fibres 2, 3. Details. Plate xix ; figure 2. Plate xxv ; 



figure 1. 



The single specimen originally described by Perrier, from off 

 Barbados, was very young, and most of those later listed from 

 the Blake Expedition are also small. Neither of his descriptions 

 are very complete, nor does his small photographic figure give 

 much aid in identification. I have examined part of the speci- 

 mens recorded by him, however, and therefore refer much larger 

 specimens to his species. 



According to Perrier (1876) his type had the radii 4°^"" and 

 ^gmm . ratio, 1 A ; marginal plates, 15. The largest specimen 

 mentioned later had 19 marginal plates. Some of our specimens 

 have 26 or more. 



In the type the adambulacral plates had a circular marginal 

 group of ten to twelve slender spines, the largest on the inner 

 angle, and one larger spine on the center of the actinal face. 



The inferomarginal plates have one marginal spine, not partic- 

 ularly long, and several unequal secondary spines, below its base, 

 some of which are not very much shorter than the large one. The 

 superomarginal plate has one larger spine, as in most species. 



The papular pores were ''one to three at the base of the rays, 

 near the median line." 



The dorsal paxillae were rather large, with about ten marginal 

 granules. 



The jaw^-plates have each a row of about nine long, slender, 

 close spines, with the two rows opposed to each other, and a 

 larger tooth-like spine. 



22 The type, according to Perrier (1876), came from off Barbados, in 

 100 to 315 feet, Hassler Expedition. Probably fathoms were here intended 

 for most of the Hassler dredgings there were in 75 to 100 fathoms, and this 

 is a rather deep-water species. 



