Systematic description of genera and species. 



Genus Lophogorgia Milne Edwards et Haime. 



Lopliogorgia Milne Edwards and Haime. Histoire naturelle des Coralliaires, I, 1857, p. 167. 



Gorgonia (in part) Kölliker. Icones Histiologicae, II, 2, 1865, p. 139. 



Lcptogorgia (in part) Verrill. Transactions Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences, I, 2, 



1867—71, p. 387. 

 Lcptogorgia Duchassaing de Fontbressin. Revue des Zoophytes et des Spongiaires des Antilies, 



1870, p. 17. 

 Lophogorgia Studer. Versuch eines Systemes der Alcyonaria, 1887, p. 63. 

 Lopliogorgia Wright and Studer. Challenger Reports, the Alcyonaria, 1889, p. 150. 

 Lopliogorgia Delage et Hérouard. Traite de Zoölogie Concrete, II, 2, 1901, p. 420. 



The oricrinal definition of this genus is as follows : 



"Polypiéroide étalé en forme de panache ou d'éventail, a une ou a plusieurs branches 

 maitresses et a tige aplatie". 



Kölliker (1865) placed practically all of the genera of Gorgonidse, including Lopliogorgia, 

 in the genus Gorgonia. 



No further definition of the genus appears until Studer, (1S87) gave the definition of 

 which the followino- is a translation : 



o 



"Colony upright, nabellate, with flattened stem and branches and cylindrical twigs. 

 Polyps without calyces, immersed in the ccenenchyma and scattered on all sides of the ultimate 

 branchlets. The larger water-vascular canals are on the flattened sides of the branches, but are 

 peripheral on the round twigs. Spicules small doublé spindles". 



Wright and Studer, (1889) give a definition which is practically identical with the one 

 just quoted, and which is adopted in the present work. 



The type of the genus Lophogorgia is Lophogorgia palma (Pallas). Other described 

 species are Lophogorgia alba 1 , L. crista Möbius, L. irregularis Thomson and Henderson, 

 L. lütkeni Wright and Studer, L. rübrotincta T. and H. and the single new species in the 

 Siboga Collection 3 . 



1. Lophogorgia pinnaia new species. (Plate I, figs. 1, 1 a ; Plate III, fig. 1). 



Stat. 273. Anchorage off Pulu Jedan, East coast of Aru Islands. 13 meters. 



Colony flabellate in form, branching pinnate, not anastomosing, height 31 cm., spread 

 about 12 cm. The stem and larger branches are flattened and marked on their flat surfaces 

 with impressed grooves which are often tortuous and irregular in number and extent. Stem 

 with a cross section of 4.5 mm. X 3-6 mm. 4 cm. from its base it divides into two large and 

 subequal branches. One of these is quite tortuous in its proximal part, giving off irregularly 

 alternate and lateral branchlets which are usually simple, slender and curved outward. The 

 distal part of this branch is comparatively straight and gives off usually simple irregularly 



1 This species is merely mentioned by DUCHASSAING de Fontbressin (1S70) who does not give the authority. 



2 L. flammca (Ellis and Solander) is regarded l>y Milne Edwards and Haime as a synonym of L. palma (Pallas). 



