Solaster affinis, Brandt". 
Me» WIDU Ide, iil, ald, IDK, 1863 7 8 14, 
Denne NSøstjerne, hvoraf vi have indsamlet 10 voxne 
Exemplarer og nogle Unger 1 forskjellige Udviklings- 
stadier, er efter alt at dømme den af H. Martens i 
Behringsstrædet fundne Solaster affinis, af hvilken han ef- 
terlod en saa god Tegning, at Brandt fandt sig foranledi- 
get til at opstille den som en fra Solaster papposus for- 
skjellig Art, under Navnet affinis. Men da Brandt's Be- 
skrivelse er meget kort, synes Arten at være for saa vidt 
glemt, som den kun omtales af enkelte Forfattere, hvori- 
blandt Liitken,? der dog er tilboielig til at antage den for 
et ungt Exemplar af Solast. papposus. Wyville Thomson 
omtaler en Varietet af Solaster papposus med 10 Arme af 
40”m Størrelse fra Armspids til Armspids, og som er fun- 
den i den kolde Area i Færø-Shetlandsrenden paa 610 Fay- 
nes Dyb i temmelig stor Mængde. > 
Siden vor første Athandling i Magazin for Naturviden- 
skaberne*, hvori vi opstillede Solaster affinis som en selv- 
stændig Art, har der af DHerrer Dnncan & Sladen? væ- 
ret reist Tvivl om Artens Selvstændighed. Omendskjgnt 
disse Forskere have henført den til Solaster papposus, er- 
kjende de dog, at den afviger i enkelte Dele væsentlig fra 
denne og mene derfor, at den kan betragtes som en Dyb- 
vandsvarietet. Da vi efter vore første Undersøgelser have 
faaet et rigere Materiale at raade over, have vi ogsaa kun- 
net anstille Sammenligninger, ligesom Skeletdelene ere 
blevne ngiagtigere undersøgte, og vi ere derved komne til 
det Resultat, at Afvigelserne fra Solaster papposus ere saa 
betydelige og saa konstante, at vi fremdeles maa anse Sol- 
aster affinis for en god Art. 
» 
Forholdet imellem den lille og store Radius er som 
1:21/1. Det største Exemplar maalte 60”” fra Armspids 
til Armspids, det mindste 61/.””. 
Skiven er temmelig bred med 10 Arme, der ere korte 
1 Prodromus deseriptionis animalium ab H. Martensis in orbis 
terrarum circumnavigatione observatorium auctore J. F. Brandt. 
Fase. 1. Petropoli 1835, pag. 71. 
? Oversigt over Grønlands Echinodermata af C. F. Litken. 
Kjøbenhavn 1857, pag. 43. : 
3 The depths of the sea by UC. Wyville Thomson. London 1847, 
pag. 118. 
+ Nyt Magazin for Naturvidenskaberne, 23 B. 
1877. 
> Duncan & Sladen. A Memoir on the Echinodermata 
Arctic Sea to the West of Greenland 1881, pag. 39. 
of the 
3 Jab, EG DM .. 
pag. 
Solaster affinis, Brandt. 
Pi, WOOL, we, Til, IPL IDK ities, 7 8 idl 
This starfish, of which we have collected 10 full 
grown specimens, and, also, a few young ones in various 
stages of development: is, judging from all appearances, 
the Solaster affins found by H. Martens at Behrings straits, | 
and, of which he left behind him such a good illustration, 
that Brandt found himself under the necessity, of assigning 
it, as a genus differing from Solaster papposus, and which 
he designated affinis. But, as Brandt's description is very 
‘short, the genus seems to have been so far forgotten, that 
it is, only, occasionally, referred to by a very few writers, 
amongst whom we may name Liitken?, who however, is dis- 
posed to assign it, as being a young specimen of Solaster 
papposus. - Wyville Thomson? speaks of a variety of Sol- 
aster papposus having 10 rays, measuring 40 millimetres 
in length between the extremities of two opposite rays; and 
which is found in the cold area of the Farge Islands-Shet- 
land channel, at a depth of 610 fathoms and in rather 
considerable numbers. 
Since our first paper appeared'im Magazin for Naturvi- 
denskaberne*, in which, we assigned Solaster affinis. to be 
an independent species; Messrs. Duncan and Sladen® have 
raised a doubt as to the individuality of this species. 
Although these naturalists have assigned it to Solaster pap- 
posus, they yet admit, that in a few points it differs mat- 
erially from that species, and, they therefore, suppose that 
it may be considered to be a deep sea variety. Since our 
first observations were made, we have obtained a more 
abundant supply of material to work with, and, we have con- 
sequently, been able to institute comparative examinations, 
whilst, we have also more minutely examined the skeleton 
parts, and have now arrived at the conclusion, that the 
difference between Solaster affinis and Solaster papposus 
is so great, and, also, so constant, that we must still affirm 
the former to be a distinct species. 
The proportion between the disk-radius and the brach- 
ial radius is, as 1:2*/, The largest specimens measured 
60”” from the extremity of a ray, to the extremity of the 
opposite ray. The smallest specimen, when measured in 
the same manner, had a diameter of 61/,””. 
The disk is rather broad, and from it, emanate, 10 
1 Prodromus descriptionis animalium ab H. Martensis in orbis 
terrarum eireum-navigatione observatorium auctore J. F. Brandt. 
Fasc. 1. Petropoli 1835, pag. 71. 
2 Oversigt over Grønlands Echinodermata af ©. F. Liitken. 
Kjøbenhavn 1857, pag. 43. 
3 The depths of the sea by C. Wyville Thomson. 
118. 
+ Nyt Magazin for Naturvidenskaberne, 23 B. 3 
1877. : 
> Duncan & Sladen. A Memoir on the Echinodermata of the 
Arctic Sea to the West of Greenland 1881, pag. 39. 
London 1847, 
