B-15 



Colonies of Pavamuriaea grandis are frequently 20-30 cm tall 

 and some reach a height of 50 cm - with branches more than 1 cm 

 thick. The branches are arranged in a loose and irregular pattern 

 in a single vertical plane. They are short, stiff, and straight 

 or curved towards the upper part of the colony. The polyps are 

 distributed on all sides of the branches and tend to be more 

 crowded together near the tips. The basal portion of each polyp 

 is developed into a conical calyx (1-2 mm high) into which the 

 upper portion can be withdrawn, however, the polyps are usually 

 preserved only partially retracted - with the tentacles withdrawn 

 but with the anthocodia exposed. The margin of the calyces is 

 distinctly spinose. While the spicules of the coenechyme and 

 calyx are mostly irregularly-shaped flattened plates with incised 

 or lacinate edges, those at the calycular margin develop a large, 

 blunt spine at one end which projects above the calyx. Spicules 

 are also abundant in the upper part (anthocodia) of the polyps. 

 These are slender, curved, finely nodose spindles. The antho- 

 codial spicules are arranged in several transverse rows which form 

 a collaret aroxind the polyp body. Above the collaret double rows 

 of spicules extend into the base of the tentacles, and in contracted 

 polyps, these form an eight-rayed spiculose operculum. The species 

 has been found only in the northeast Atlantic from Nova Scotia to 

 George's Bank at depths of about 200 to 950 fm. Living colonies 

 are orange or yellow in color but they turn greyish or black in 

 preservatives . 



