Udbredning. 
Langs Norges Kyst, men sparsomt overalt. Den 
Murmanske Kyst. Nordamerikanske Kyst. Engelske Kyst. 
Archaster Parelii, varietas longobrachialis, nob. 
1877. Archaster Parelii, varietas longobrachialis, Koren & 
Danielssen. Nyt Magaz. f. Naturvidenskaberne 
28) J, & lal, jae, Gil. 
Denne Sostjerne afviger i flere Henseender temmelig 
meget fra den typiske Form, uden at vi dog have troet at 
burde ophøie den til en selvstændig Art. 
Forholdet imellem den lille og store Radius er paa 
Exemplarer af 108—124"" Diameter som 1:3!/35—31/4. 
Randpladerne, der paa Exemplarer af nysnævnte Stør- 
relse ere 38—40 i Antal, ere ved Armens Grund 4.1”” 
brede, 2”” hoie og Paxillarfeltet 97” bredt; paa Midten af 
Armen ere de 2”” brede, 1.5”” høie og Paxillarfeltet 2.8”” 
bredt. Adambulacralpladerne ere nærmest Ambulaeralfu- 
ren forsynede med 4—5 indtil 6 flade, temmelig lange og 
vidt fra hinanden staaende Papiller; almindeligst er der 
dog 5. Mundpladerne (Maxillerne) have paa hver Side 
8—9 stærke Papiller.  Farven cigarbrun paa Rygfladen, 
graalighvid paa Bugfladen. 
Sammenholdes nu den typiske Archaster Parelit med 
vor Varietet, det 
bredere Skive og længere Arme, at Randpladerne ere flere 
i Antal, smalere og lavere, og at Paxillarfeltet er bredere. 
Adambulacralpladerne have flere og længere Pigge, hvilket 
ogsaa er Tilfældet med Mundpladerne, og endelig er Far- 
ven ganske forskjellig. 
viser sig, at denne har en meget 
M. Sars omtaler i sm Oversigt over Norges Echino- 
dermer en Varietet af Archaster Parelii, som nærmer sig 
vor temmelig meget, men som dog ikke 1 saa betydelig 
Grad som vor afviger fra den typiske Form. Sars's Varie- 
tet har ikke saa bred Skive og heller ikke saa lange Arme 
som vor, hvilket Forholdet mellem den lille og store Ra- 
dius bedst udviser (Sars's Exemplar var I Tomme større 
end vort største), Randpladerne ere færre i Antal, og de- 
res Breddeforhold til Paxillarfeltet er næsten omvendt af det 
paa vor Varietet. Farven er som paa den typiske Art. 
Unegtelig har man her for sig en Form, der synes 
at ville arbeide sig op igjennem Tidernes Løb til en selv- 
Distribution. 
Along the Norwegian coast, but, everywhere, spar- 
ingly. The Murman coast. The North American coast. 
The British coast. 
Archaster Parelii, varietas longobrachialis, nob. 
1877. Archaster Parelii, varietas longobrachialis, Koren 
and Danielssen. Nyt Magaz. f. Naturvidenska- 
berne, 23 B. 3 H. pag. 61. 
This starfish differs, widely, in several respects from 
the typical form; but we have not thought it right to raise 
it to an independent species. 
In specimens of 108—124”” in diameter, the propor- 
tion of the disk-radius to the brachial radius as ils 
BY 
The marginal plates in specimens of the dimensions 
just stated, are 38 to 40 in number; and at the origin of 
are 4.1”” broad, and 2”” thick, and the 
gym broad. In the middle of the rays; 
the paxille are 2”” broad, 1.5”" high, and the paxillar 
area is 2.8 broad: The adambulacral plates next to the 
ambulaeral furrow, are furnished with 4 to 5, and some- 
1S, 
the rays, they 
paxillar area is 
times 6, flat, rather long papillæ, placed at some distance 
apart from each other, but usually, there are only five of 
them. The oral plates (maxillary-plates) have 8 to 9 strong 
papillz on each lateral margin. On the abactinal surface 
the colour is chocolate brown, and on the actinal surface 
it is greyish white. 
When we now compare the typical Archaster Parelii 
with our variety, it is apparent, that is has a much broader 
disk, and longer rays; and further, that the marginal plates 
are more numerous, narrower, and thinner, and that the pax- 
illar area is greater. The adambulacral plates have longer, 
and more numerous spines, and this is, also, the case with 
the oral plates; and finally, the colour is quite different. 
M. Sars in his ,,Oversigt over Norges Echinodermer*, 
mentions a variety of Archaster Parelii, which approaches 
pretty much to our variety, but does not differ, however, 
in such a marked degree as ours does, from the typical 
form. Sars’ variety has not such a broad disk, or such 
long rays as ours. This is very apparent in the propor- 
tion which the disk radius and brachial radius bear to 
each other (Sars’ specimen was one inch larger than our 
largest one). The marginal plates are fewer in number, 
and their proportional breadth to that of the paxillar area, 
is almost the reverse of what it is in our variety. The 
colour is similar to that of the typical species. 
We have, undoubtedly, in this variety, a form which 
appears as if in the course of time, it would evolve into 
