BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 
609 
Asterias forbesi — Continued. 
Food: Oysters, clams, mussels, barnacles, vari- 
ous kinds of gasteropods, worms, and Crustacea; 
occasionally smaller starfishes of their own 
species. — Mead. The starfish is of great eco- 
nomic interest as one of the most destructive 
enemies of the oyster. 
Asterias tenera Stimpson. 
Verrill and Smith, 1873, p. 719 ( Leptasterias 
eompta); Verrill, 1895a, p. 209 ( Leptasterias 
compta), p. 210 (L. tenera ); Clark, 1904, p. 
554! 1905. P- 4- 
Abundant in the cold areas south of Rhode 
Island and Marthas Vineyard, in 20 to 50 fath- 
oms. — Verrill. Very common off Sankaty 
Head. — Clark. Fish Hawk station 7609*, at 
Crab Ledge in 25 fathoms. — Survey. Said to 
be without metamorphosis, the young being 
cared for by the mother, to which they are 
attached. — Clark. 
Asterias vulgaris Verrill. Northern starfish; pur- 
ple starfish. [Chart 49.] 
Verrill and Smith, 1873, p. 718, 389, etc.; Ver- 
rill, 1895a, p. 207; Mead, 1900, p. 203-224; 
Clark, 1904, p. 553; 1905, p. 4; Sumner, 1910, 
fig. 21. 
Near entrance of Vineyard Sound and off Gay 
Head. — Verrill. Woods Hole Harbor, occa- 
sional; Gay Head; Cuttyhunk; Crab Ledge; 
Sankaty Head. — Clark. Dredged by the Sur- 
vey in Vineyard Sound, chiefly western half; 
Crab Ledge (common); rare in Buzzards Bay 
and probably restricted to the lower end; 3 to 
25 fathoms, on bottoms of sand, gravel, stones, 
or shells; not common in mud. At Gay Head 
they have been taken from piles. 
Fish Hawk stations: 7537 bis (1 large, several 
small), 7541 (1), 7545 (1 medium sized), 7546 
Class OPH 
Family OpiiiuriD/E. 
Ophioderma brevispina (Say). 
Verrill and Smith, 1873, p. 719, 363, etc. 
( Ophiura olivacea ); Bumpus, 1898b, p. 857 
( Opkiura brevispina) Clark, 1904, p. 558; 1905, 
p. 5 ( Ophiura brevispina). 
Woods Hole, Buzzards Bay, Vineyard Sound, 
not common; found among eelgrass on sandy 
shores, especially in tide pools, in sheltered 
localities. — Verrill. North Falmouth Harbor, 
Marion, New Bedford; Buzzards Bay, the 
northern limit. — Clark. West Falmouth; a 
fragment from Hadley Harbor.— G. M. Gray. 
Asterias vulgaris — Continued. 
bis (1 large), 7547 (1), 7547 bis (1 large), 7552 
bis (2), 7553 (several), 7556 (few), 7557 (1) 
7558 (many), 7561 (several), 7562 (several), 
7564 (abundant), 7567 (few, very small), 7569 
(1 small), 7570 (1), 7572 (2), 7579 (few), 7581 
(about 10), 7582 (few), 7583 (few), 7584 (few), 
75 8 S ( 2 )- 75 86 i 1 )’ 75 88 C 1 small), 7591 (1), 7592 
(many), 7593 (few), 7594* (few), 7595 (few), 
7596 (several), 7599 (many), 7600 (few), 7601 
(1), 7602 (1), 7603 (few), 7604 (2), 7605, 7606 
(few), 7607 (1 small), 7608 (several), 7609* 
(few), 7627 (? 1), 7638 (? several), 7645 (? 1), 
7648 (? 2 small), 7657 (? x large), 7670 (several 
large), 7671 (4), 7672 (1), 7676 (4), 7678 (per- 
haps 80, mostly large), 7679 (several), 7680 
(several), 7681 (many), 7686 (2), 7689 (several 
small), 7690 (small), 7699 (2), 7700 (many), 
7701 (many), 7702 (many), 7703 (few), 7706 
(many), 7707 (few), 7708 (few), 7709 (many), 
7717 (few), 7719 (few), 7720 (few), 7721 (few), 
7722 (few), 7723 (1), 7724 (several, medium 
sized), 7725 (1), 7726 (several), 7727 (3), 7728 
(1 large, several small), 7730 (2), 7731 (6), 7732 
(1 large), 7733 (2 large, living), 7734 (1), 7735 
(1), 773 6 (several), 7737 (1 small), 7741 (3). 
Supplementary station (1909): 7672 (several 
small). 
Phalarope and Blue Wing stations: 5 (1), 27 (1 
adult), 32 (1 very small), 35 (r small), 44 (sev- 
eral large and small), 45 (2), 46 (2), 52 (several), 
55 (x)> 56(1). 57 (several), 58 (many small), 
59 (few), 64 (few), 65 (1 small), 77 (1), 83 (x 
small), 86 (2 small), 87 (several), 111 (small), 
116. Supplementary station (1909): 83. 
Young taken in August at Gay Head and other 
points. — Clark. 
Ophioderma brevispina — Continued. 
Fish Hawk stations: 7644 ( ? 1 arm), 7650 (2 arms, 
identified by W. L- Sperry). 
Begins to breed the second week in July. — 
Grave, cited by Bumpus. 
Family OphioeEpididvE. 
Ophiura robusta (Ayres). 
Clark, 1904, p. 558; 1905, p. 5 ( Ophioglypha 
robusta). 
A northern form, just entering the region; taken 
at Crab Ledge, 17 fathoms. 
