7. Anthozoa (incl. Hydrocorallia). B. Alcyonaria. 33 



retractile and their spicules are spindles ; (2) Nephthyiformes , in which the 

 ends of the branches are unthickened and non-contractile, the polyps in bundles, 

 generally club-shaped and non-retractile, their spicules are spindles and clubs. 

 This group is divided into - - (A) Divaricatse-glomeratai with separate polyp- 

 bundles which may unite to form lappets (3 sp.) ; (B) Umbellatse with umbelli- 

 form polyp-bundles (3 sp., 1 n. var.). Of the 14 certainly valid species of E 1 ., 

 13 are arctic and subarctic (9 from Spitzbergen) and 1 antarctic, no species is bi- 

 polar. E. may be regarded as a deep-sea genus, specimens being recorded 

 from 35 to 1500 metres. The phylogeny of the Nephthyidse is briefly stated 

 [s. Bericht f. 1906 Coel. p 33]. 



KiikenthalP points out that the Japanese Alcyonacean fauna is peculiar in 

 that certain families are well represented while others are completely or almost 

 absent. For instance no Tubiporidse, Telestidse or Helioporidse are recorded 

 and only a single Xeniid (Cespitularia from the Straits of Korea), 4 Clavulariids 

 (Anthelia 1 n., Clavularia 3 n.) and, excepting Nidalia, there are only 3 Al- 

 cyonids (Anthomastus 1 and Alcyonium 2, 1 n.). But the subfam. Nidaliinre 

 (especially Nidalia, the species of which are almost entirely Japanese, 5 n. are 

 described) is well represented as also are the Nephthyidai and Siphonogorgiidse 

 (Siphonogorgia 2 n.). Of the Nephthyidae L/ithophytum, Capnella, Lemnalia 

 and Sderonephthya are quite absent but Nephthya is represented by several 

 sp. and Dendronephthya by a large number (6 n.). Eunephthya (2 n.) and Ger- 

 semia (1 n.) are also present, these two are of arctic origin while D. may be 

 regarded as tropical, thus we see in the Japanese Alcyouaceau fauna a mixture 

 of tropical and arctic forms. - - See also Kinoshita. 



Reinhart finds that the various species of Lithophytum do not exhibit a 

 uniform structure. In thyrsoides there is a well developed canal system lying 

 just below the ectoderm, indicating a relationship to the Xeniidse; a canal system 

 is almost certainly absent in other species, for in these the coenenchyme is 

 feebly developed. In thyrs. and apparently also in brassicum and arnmtum 

 the ventral and lateral mesenterial filaments exhibit, in section, a reticular 

 or foam-like structure due to the presence of large vacuole-like cavities in the 

 tissue in which no cell outlines are recognisable. The corresponding filaments 

 of arboreum are feeble thickenings of the mesenteries and contain irregularly 

 distributed gland cells, those of Dendronephthya maxima have practically the 

 same structure but are more bulky. The dorsal filaments of all these species 

 show no essential differences. In L. thyrs. most of the coelentera extend down 

 to the base of the colony but in all the other species they generally end 

 blindly after a short distance. This is a consequence of different modes of 

 growth, in tin. most of the polyps arise directly from the basis and only a few 

 arise later by budding from these, while in the other species there are only a 

 few primary polyps from which all the others arise by budding. In D. max. 

 the stomodseum contains two kinds of gland cells, nematocysts are present 

 in the endoderm and ova and testes were found on the same mesentery. Uni- 

 cellular algae, apparently not all of one kind but differing in size and structure, 

 are present in all species of L. but not in D. max. or eburnea. 



Versluys describes Pseudocladochonus n. hicksoni n., from the island of Salo- 

 makie'e (Damar) and from the Ceram Sea, from a depth of 45 and 118 metres 

 respectively. While belonging to the Telestidse it differs from all other members 

 of this family in that there is no differentiation of polyps into long stem- or 

 axis-forming axial polyps and short lateral polyps. All the polyps have the 

 same structure and each is subdivided into a distal calical portion (the "polyp", 

 in restricted sense) and a longer proximal part in which the inner edges of 



Zool. Jahresbericht. 1907. Coelenterata. or 



