WEST INDIAN STARFISHES 



177 



8,514) figured, 13^ and 58°^"^ ; ratio, 1 :5.2 ; marginal plates 38. 



The superomarginal plates are broadly and evenly rounded, 

 transversely rectangular, with the sutures straight and trans- 

 verse to the ray, narrow, closely fasciolated. They are closely 

 covered with short even granules, often polygonal, due to crowd- 

 ing ; they grade regular into the minute, short f asciolar spinules. 



The dorsal paxillar area has a nearly even surface, slightly 

 areolated by the outlines of the small paxillas. The latter are 

 coronate, much crowded, not forming obvious transverse rows 

 on the rays; they have a central rosette, of about five or six 

 short capitate spinules or granules, surrounding one in the mid- 

 dle, and a marginal series of numerous small ones. The median 

 radial paxillae are as large as the lateral ones; those of the disk 

 rather larger, with more spinules in the central rosette. 



The inferomarginal plates scarcely project laterally beyond 

 the upper ones ; they have two moderately large and long, some- 

 what flattened and curv^ed, acute marginal spines. The larger 

 proximal ones are about as long as two marginal plates. The 

 under side of these plates is covered with minute slender, sub- 

 erect spinules and has a transverse row of small, acute spines 

 near each margin, four to six in each, the aboral ones the larger. 



The adambulacral plates have an inner series of three rather 

 long flattened spines, the median one a little longer and vertical- 

 ly compressed ; the median series has two, or sometimes three, 

 subequal, flattened, subspatulate or truncate spines, the aboral 

 one slightly longer and larger; exterior to these are commonly 

 two rows, with three each, of smaller, flat, truncated spinules, 

 but these, on some plates, often form a divergent group of five 

 or six around a central spine. No pedicellarige were found on 

 the type specimens. The largest specimen (No. 18,346, Nat. 

 Mus.) is from off W. Florida, in 26 fathoms. No. 8,514 is from 

 Albatross station 2,286, off Cape Hatteras, in 11 fathoms. 



ASTROPECTEN RICHARDI Per. 

 Astropecten richardi Perrier, Envision, op, eit., p. 292, 1876. 



Radii of the type 18°^™ and 73°^; ratio, 1:4. Rays slightly 

 constricted at the base. Superomarginal plates are 22 to 25 on 

 each side of each ray. 



The superomarginals are rectangular, nearly twice as broad 



