History of British animals - University of Guam Marine Laboratory

Asteeias. RADIATA. ASTERIAM". 487Pentadactylosaster asper hispidus, Linck, 35, t. xxxv. No. 59. ; andp. 40, t. xv. xvi. No. 26-41, xvii. 27, xiv. 25—A. rubens, Linn. Syst.1099 A. hispida, Penn. Br. Zool. iv. t. xxx. f. 58—On the Scottishcoast, frequent.Diameter about 6 inches ;the rays a purplish-red, rounded, and lengthened;the tubercles brown, numerous, with very short, blunt, rough spines.23. A. endica.— Rays nine, closelycovered with tuberclesending in a tuft of short blunt spines.Sower. Br. Misc. t. xxiv— Occasionally found in the Frith of Forth.This species bears a near resemblance to the preceding.It differs, however,besides the number of rays, in the tubercles being irregularly crowded,in those on the margin of the rays being more produced and pectinated,and in the greater length of the spines guarding the canals below.24. A. papposa.— Rays twelve or fourteen, covered with producedtubercles, supporting short spines.Linck, p. 41, No. xxxii. No. 52. ; and xxxiv. 54. Linn. Syst. 1098, No. 2—A. helianthemoides, Penn. Br. Zool. iv. 66. No. 72.*—Common on allparts of the coast.In this species, which sometimes reaches to 8 or 10 inches in diameter, therays vary from twelve to fourteen the ; body is coarsely villous, but somewhatlax ; the spines on each side of the avenue of suckers in pectinatedbrushes, four or five in each ;on each side the rays is a thin row of elevatedtubercles covered on the top with short spines, with a lateral vacant space.25. A. glacialis.Cross-fish.— Rays angular, covered withshort, blunt, single, cylindrical spines.Stella coriacea acutangula, Linck, p. 31, t. xxxvi. No. 61. ; cancellata,(young), p. 32, t. vii. n. g— Baster, Op. Sub. 111. 116. t. xii. f. 1-6.—A. gl. Linn. Syst. 1099, No. 5. Penn. Br. Zool. iv. p. 60, No, 54—A. clathrata (young), p. 61, No. 55, t. xxx. f. 1.—Common.This species, nearly a foot in diameter, has from four to six rays in ; generalit has five ; these are usually subtriangular, the ridge above marked bya line in the middle of the ray. The spine of the tubercle frecpjently surroundedby a moniliform ring. On the margin of the suckers the spines aremore produced. When young, the surface is cancellated. It is reckoneddestructive to oyster-beds.26. A. spinosa.— Rays of almost equal thickness, and thinlycovered with produced spines.Linck, p. 35, t. iv. No. 7« Bar. Corn. p. 259, £ xxv. f. 18.—Luid foundthis species on the west of Ireland, and afterwards in Cornwall, asmentioned by Linck, but neither he nor Borlase have given anysatisfactory details.27. A. oculata.— Rays rounded, nearly smooth, and dotted.Pentadactylosaster asper oculatus, Linck, p. 35, t. xxxvi. No. 62, andPorphyraster Luidii, ib. 81, (and referred to by Stewart, El. i. p. 401,as his seposita, but the description is that of rubens). —A. oculata, Penn.Br. Zool. iv. 61, No. 56. t. xxx. f. 56. Cordiner's Ruins, No. 15 Notcommon on the English and Scottish coasts.The tubercles are minute, and pectinated. The avenue of suckers narrow.Of a purple colour, and seldom above 2 inches in diameter.