33 



af Grenen, men dette er undtagelsesvis. Polypcellerne ere 

 runde, staa temmelig tæt i hverandre og ere forsynede med 

 8 adskilte Længderibber, dannede af Kalkspikler, hvori- 

 mellem sees en nøgen, smal Pure, som opimod Randen 

 eller der. hvor Cellen gaar over i Polypens Bagkrop, ud- 

 vider sig til et triangulært Spatium. Fig. 3, a. Naar 

 Polypen er lidt indtrukken, faar Cellens Rand et ottetandet 

 Ddseende, Fis. 3. b. 



Polyperne ere 5 — 6""" lange, cylindriske, men udvide 

 sig tragtformigt op imod Tentakelskiven. Paa Størstedelen 

 af Polypkroppen ligge Spiklerne paatvers; kun op imod 

 dens forreste Del antage de en mere perpendiculær Ret- 

 ning, som tiltager, idet de gaa over paa, Tentaklerne; men 

 hvor denne Overgang foregaar, nemlig opimod Tentakel- 

 skiven. dannes imellem hver 2 Tentaklers Grund et tem- 

 melig stort, nogent. triangulært Rum. der er overordentligt 

 tæt besat med Nematocyster, Fig. 3. r. Tentaklerne ere 

 halvt saa lange som Kroppen, omtrent 2'"'". vel forsynede 

 med Spikler paa den aliorale Side. hvor de op imod 

 Enderne ligge paatvers. Pinnulerne ere uden Spikler. 

 men saavel paa disse som paa Tentaklernes adorale Side 

 og paa hele Mundskiven er der en Mængde Nematocyster. 

 Mundaabningen danner en Tverspalte med temmelig tykke 

 Læber. Naar Kolonien er i Vigør og Polyperne udstrakte, 

 har hver Gren en Kugleform. der end tydeligere fremtræder, 

 naar Polyperne ere indtrukne. Fig. 2. 



I anatomisk-histologisk Henseende adskiller den sig 

 ikke væsentligt fra den foregaaende Art. Svælgroret synes 

 i Forhold til Polypkroppens Længde at være temmelig kort; 

 det har kun to Rækker Spikler, og disse ligge langt fra 

 hverandre . saa Svælget i det Hele tåget ei' fattigt paa 

 Kalk. Fig. 4. Svælgrenden er smal. men forsynet med 

 de sædvanlige lange Pidskeceller ; i den øvrige Del af 

 Svælget er der i den cilierende Epithelialbeklædning ind- 

 leiret mange isolerede, ægfbrmede, encellede Slimkjertler. 

 Den bagerste Del af Mavehulheden er hos mange Polyper 

 næsten udfyldt af Æg i de forskjelligste Stadier, ligesom 

 der i Polypcellerne hyppigt træffes Æg. 



Paa Basaldelen ligge Spiklerne tæt paa hverandre og 

 beståa væsentligst af Dobbeltstjerner, sjeldent træffes en 

 Klubbe eller sammensat Stjerne og yderst sjeldent en Firling. 

 Dobbe.ltstjernerne ere meget vexlende, menGrundformen gjen- 

 kjendes dog. De har alle brede Straaler i begge Ender med 

 et mere eller mindre nogent Midtbelte. Straalerne ende 

 ofte i smaa Stjerner, der dannes at yderst smau, runde 

 Kalkkorn, som forresten tindes afsat næsten overalt; de 

 ere fra 0.026 — 0.168 mra lange, fra 0.044— 0.1 46 ram brede i 



1><mi norske Nordhavsexpedition. I>. C. Danielssen : Alcyonida. 



the part of the branches nearest the stem is bare (figs. 1. 2). 

 On a few branches, solitary polyps are seen to issue from 

 the inner part of the branch; tliat is, however, exceptional. 

 The polyp-eells are cylindrical, and are placed pretty far 

 apart from each other; they are furnished with 8, separ- 

 ated. longitudinal ribs formed "f calcareous spicules, and 

 between these a bare narrow furrow is observed, which, 

 up towards the margin, or at the point where the cell 

 p.-isscs over into the posterior body of the polyp, becomes 

 dilated tu a tringular space (fig. :i. a). When the polyp 

 is a Little retracted, the cellular margin acquires an oeto- 

 deutate appearance (fig. ;i. /<). 



The polyps measure 5 — 6""" in length. and are cylin- 

 drical, but up towards the tentacular disk thev dilate in 

 infundibuliform. In the greater part of the body of the 

 polyp, the spicules are placed transversally. and only up 

 towards the anterior part do thev assume a more perpen- 

 dicular direction, which increases as thev pass over on tu 

 tlie tentacles, but where this transition takes place, namely. 

 in proximity to the tentacular disk. a pretty large bare tri- 

 angular area is formed between the bases ni' each 2 ten- 

 tacles. and this space is extremely closely beset with nem- 

 atocysts (fig. ;;. D. The tentacles are half the length of 

 the body. and measure about 2"™'; they are well fur- 

 nished with spicules on the ahoral side. where. in proxi- 

 mity to the extremities, they are placed transversally. 

 The pinnules are devoid of spicules, but upon these. 

 as well as. also, on the adoral side of the tentacles. and 

 on the entire oral disk. there is a multitude of nemato- 

 cysts. The oral aperture forms a transverse fissure having 

 toterably thiek labiæ. When the colony is in full vigour 

 and the polyps extended. each branch has a spherical form, 

 which appears still more distinctly when the polyps are 

 retracted (fig. 2). 



In anatomo-histological relations, this species does 

 not materially differ from the preceding one. The gullet- 

 tube appears to be pretty short in proportion to the length 

 of the polyp-body; jit has only two series of spicules, and 

 these are plaeed far apart from each other. so that. alto- 

 gether, the gullet is poor in calcium (fig. 4). The gullet- 

 passage is narrow. but is supplied with the usual. long, 

 flagelliform cells. In the remaining part of the gullet, 

 there is observed. entrenched in the eiliating epithelial 

 covering, many isolated, oviform, unicellular mucous glands. 

 The posterior portion of the gastral cavity is, in many 

 polyps, almost filled up with ova in the most different 

 stages of development, whilst. also. ova are frequently met 

 with in the cells of the polyps. 



In the basal part, the spicules are placed close upon 

 each other. and consist, principally, of bistellates; rarely 

 is a clavate or complex stellate met with. and still more 

 rarely is a quadruplet seen. The bistellates are very vari- 

 ous in form but. still, the normal form is recognised. 

 They all have broad ravs at both extremities. and have a. 

 more or less. bare, medial stripe. The ravs often terminate 

 in small stars, which are formed of extremely minute, 

 round. calcareous grannules. which. iudeed. are found 



