1 1 



S a ver) brief characterization of this genus. 



M '.'.'. aber <H<- Spicula der Rinde siml nur Spindeln". 



I\ kimii' ives a satisfactorj definition, as indicated in the following translation : 



'Branching flabellate, dichotomous, branches originating at the nodes. Branches very 



slender, slightlj or not at all flattened. [nternodes nut pierced by water-vascular canals. Polyps 



ictile within large calyces, biserially arranged and usually widely spaced. Spicules never 



us club 



The type species of this genus is Acabaria divaricata Gray. Other described spe<ie S 



\ustralis Gray^ . /. biserialis Kukth., A.corymbosa Kükth., A. erythracea (Ehrenb.), 



./ Brundin), A. gracillima (Ridley), ./. habereri Kükth., . /. japonica Verrill, 



A. philippinensis Wrighl and Studer), A. serrata Ridley, . /. tennis Kükth., .7. undulata 



Kükth., . /. valdivia Kukth.. and the new specie-. deseribed in the present work. 



i. Acabaria philippinensis (Wright and Studer). 



Melitodes philippinensis Wright and Studer. Challenger Reports, the Alcyonana, 1889, \>. \~C>. 

 Melitodes philippinensis Thomson and Simpson. Alcyonarians of the Indian Ocean, II. 1909, 

 p. [72. 



St.it. 310. S° 30' S., H9°7'.5E. -ji meters. Sand, with a few pieces of dead coral. 



Specimens flabellate, the largest being a fragment 6.2 cm. long and about 4 cm. in 



! Stem and branches round. Main stem 2.1 mm. in diameter and 1.5 cm. long to first 



branch. The first complete node is 4 mm. long and 3 mm. in diameter, and a distal one is 



1.2 mm. long. The proximal internode is 1 cm. long and 2 mm. in diameter, while a distal 



internode is 1.4 cm. long and S mm. in diameter. The branching is irregularly dichotomous 



and the furcations are Y-shaped rather than U-shaped. The calyces are mostly lateral leaving 



a broad bare space on the back of the colony and a narrow one, sometimes invaded by 



calyces, on the front. There is often a tendency to form a zigzag row on the side of the branch. 



The individual calyces are dome-shaped verrucae, often hemispherical when the polyps 



are completely retracted. They are somewhat closely approximated on the sides of the branches 



and are rendered conspicuons by their dark red color in contrast with the dull yellow of the 



enchyma. A typical calyx measures .7 mm. in height and [.3 mm. in diameter at the 



Their walls are filled with coarse tuberculate spindles which sometimes tend to an en 



chevron arrangement around the margin and otherwise are horizontal or irregularly disposed. 



A few of the more superficial spicules are yellow, luit the rest are red, the predominating 



color in the calyces. The polyps are retractile and have a strong collaret composed of about 



three horizontal rows of red tuberculate spindles, above this other spindles are arranged en 



vron over each ten ta cl e base, forming a series of S points above the collaret. The 



■t the dorsal surf ace of the tentacles bears longitudinal yellow spindles. 



Spicules. These are mostly rather stout terete spindles, sometimes assuming an oval 

 outline, and with definite whorls of promiment tubercles on the more slender spindles and 



