Asymptotic spectral decomposition for an operator on a Banach space is studied in light of the well-known theory of decomposable operators of Foias type. It is proved that adjoints of strongly quasidecomposable operators have the single-valued extension property. Duality theorems for strongly decomposable operators are given, for example, an operator has strongly decomposable adjoint iff it has a rich supply of strongly analytic subspaces. For reflexive spaces sharper results are obtained. Decomposable operators are characterized as those quasi-decomposable operators satisfying an additional duality property. Also an asymptotic spectral decomposition with strongly analytic subspaces implies decomposability. Strongly bi-decomposable operators are also studied.1. Introduction. The theory of decomposable operators, initiated by Foias [11], and given substantial development by him and others in the period 1963-1975, can now be said to have reached a satisfactory maturity. It is known, in particular, that decomposable operators enjoy a "completely symmetric duality theory," i.e., an operator is decomposable exactly when its adjoint is. It has also been proven by the author There has also been parallel development of spectral theory along the separate but related path of "asymptotic decompositions." To be precise, let T be a bounded linear operator on the Banach space X. We say that T has an asymptotic spectral decomposition if, for each finite open cover {Gf. 1 < / < n) of the complex plane, there is a system of Γ-invariant subspaces {M l9 M 29 ... 9 M n } such that