vexillifer*, Det har imidlertid ikke været os mult hver- 
ken af den korte Beskrivelse eller af den denne ledsa- 
gende Tegning at identificere dem. 
Ved at sammenholde Thomsons Karakteristik med 
den af os leverede Beskrivelse ville Forskjellighederne 
bedst kunne vurderes. Kun skulle vi bemærke, at efterat 
Viguier har erklæret Thomsons Archaster vexillifer for at 
være en Åstropecten, kommer den vor meget nærmere. Og- 
saa vi antog vor Sgstjerne 1 en tidligere Afhandling* for 
en Astropecten; men senere Undersøgelser har vist, at den 
baade ved de hoist mærkelige Pedicellarier og Skeletbyg- 
ningen adskiller sig saa meget fra Slegten Astropecten, at 
vi have fundet det nødvendigt at danne en ny Slægt for 
den, hvilken vi have benævt Bathybiaster. 
Slægtskarakter. 
Legemet fladt, 5-armet med overordentlig bred Ambula- 
eralfure, paa hvis Rand findes lange, stilkede, eiendommelige 
Pedicellarier. Interbrachialrummet bredt, tæt besat med 
siddende Pedicellarier.  Rygsiden bekledt med Paxiller; 
dens Skive ligesom Armenes Midtparti uden Tentakelpo- 
rer. Ryggens Hudskelet dannes paa Skiven og Armenes 
Midtparti af runde, tæt taglagte Kalkplader; paa Arme- 
Ingen 
nes Sidedele af stjerneformige, taglagte Plader. 
Anus. 
Artskarakter. 
Forholdet imellem den lille og store Radius som 1: 
43/4 (Størrelse 170”” Diameter). 1:5*/; (Størrelse 270” 
Diameter). Randpladerne, 65—70, staa perpendikulært 
ligeoverfor hverandre, ere flade, overalt dækkede af tag- 
lagte Kalkskjæl. 
fladtrykt Torn. De ventrale Randplader bære fra 1—4 
Torne. Saavel de dorsale Randpladers 
Rande enkelt sagtakkede. Paa Midtpiggen af de trekan- 
tede Adambulacralplader, der begrændse Ambulacralfuren, 
en eiendommelig, stilket Pedicellarie. JI Interbrachialrum- 
mene regelmæssige Rækker af siddende Pedicellarier. Far- 
ven bleggul. 
Paa de dorsale Randplader en udpræget, 
som —ventrale 
Luidia Sarsii, Diben & Koren. 
1835. Asterias, n. sp., M. Sars. Beskrivelser og Iagtta- 
gelser over Dyr ved den Bergenske Kyst, pag. 39. 
t Wyville Thomson. The depths of the sea; pag. 150, fig. 25. 
Nyt Magazin for Naturvidenskaberne, 23 B. 3 H., pag. 62, 
MA, B we, tT 
i) 
94 
fer! described by Wyville Thomson. Neither, from his 
short description, nor, the accompanying illustration, how- 
ever, has it been possible for us to quite identify them. 
By comparing Thomson’s distinguishing features with 
the description we have given, the divergencies can best 
be appreciated. We would remark, however, that although 
Viguier has declared Thomson's Archaster vexillifer to be 
an <Astropecten, it approaches much nearer to ours. 
In an earlier memoir”, we. also, supposed our starfish 
to be an Astropecten, but subsequent examinations have 
shown, that both in its highly remarkable pedicellariæ, and — 
also, in the skeleton arrangement, it differs so much from 
the genus Astropecten, that we have considered it necessary 
to form a new genus for it, and have designated it Bath- 
ybiaster. 
Generic Character. 
The body flat. 5-rayed, with an extremely wide amb- 
ulacral furrow, having long, pedunculated, peculiar pedicellariæ 
along its margins. The interbrachial space broad, and 
closely beset with sessile pedicellariæ. - The abactinal surface 
clad with paxillæ. The disk, and also the mesial part of 
the rays, free of tentacular pores. On the disk, and mes- 
ial part ot the rays, the dorsal dermal skeleton is formed, 
of round, closely imbricate, calcareous plates, and on the 
lateral margins of the rays, it is formed of asteriated im- 
bricate plates. No anus. 
Specific character. 
The proportion between the disk radius and the 
brachial radius is, as 1:: 4°/, (the diameter of the starfish 
being 170”), 
270”” in diameter. 
number, and placed vertically, right opposite each other. 
They are flat, and, everywhere, covered by imbricate scales. 
On the dorso-marginal plates, prominent, flattened aculeæ 
visible. The ventro-marginal plates carry 1—4 aculee. 
Of the dorso-marginal and ventro-marginal plates, occasional 
ones, are serrated. On the mesial spine of the trilateral 
adambulacral plates bordering the ambulacral furrow, there 
occurs, a peculiar pedunculated pedicellaria. In the inter- 
brachial spaces, regularly formed series of sessile pedicellariz. 
Colour pale yellow. 
The proportion is, as 1: 5*/;, in a specimen 
The marginal plates are 65 to 70. in 
Luidia Sarsii, Diben & Koren. 
1835. Asterias, n. sp., M. Sars. Beskrivelser og Tagtta- 
gelser over Dyr ved den Bergenske Kyst pag. 39. 
1 Wyville Thomson. 
2 Nyt Magazin for Naturvidenskaberne, 
Tab. 3, fig. 1—7. 
The depths of the sea, pag. 150, fig. 25. 
25 18, 3 Eg po G2, 
