184 A. E. Verrill — Comparisons of Coral Faunae,. 



This is not surprising, for various West Indian mollusks and 

 echinoderms, and some gorgonians, etc., are known to occur on the 

 E. African coasts. 



With the Mediterranean fauna there is little resemblance, but the 

 genus Cladocora is found in both faunae. 



The West Indian coral -fauna is characterized by a few genera that 

 are not known to occur in the Indo-Pacific fauna, and by others that 

 are comparatively rare in that fauna. But thei*e is no family of 

 corals restricted to the West Indies. 



Among the genera peculiar to the West Indies are Colpopliylii<i, 

 Dendrogyra, Meandrina, rest. (=Pectinia auth.), Eusmillia, Stepha- 

 nocoenia, and perhaps the subgenus Isophyllia. 



Among the common genera that are comparatively rare in the 

 Indo-Pacific, the following may be mentioned : Agaricia, Sideras- 

 trcea, Cladocora, Madracis, Oculina (rest.), Dichoccenia, OrbiceU". 



But the West Indian reef-fauna is also characterized by the con- 

 spicuous absence of a large number of genera and even of some large 

 families of corals that are abundant in the Indo-Pacific. 



Among the families that are lacking are the Turbinar idee, Eupsam- 

 mido3, Fungidoi* (with numerous genera), Pocilloporidoz. 



Of the important Indo-Pacific genera that are lacking, the follow- 

 ing are notable : Turbinaria, Astrceopor<i, Montipora, Alveopor<<,\ 

 Synarma, Psammocora, Pavonia, Pachyseris,Fungia, HerpetoUtlm^ 

 Cryptobacia, Ifalomitra, Podobacia, Merulina, Hydnophora, Trida- 

 cophyllia, Echinopora, Mycedium (restr.), Ulophyllia, Trachyphyllia, 

 Galaxea, Euphyllia, Plerogyra, Favites = Prionastrcea, Acanthas- 

 trcea, Pocillopora , Slylophora (true), !Seriatop>ora, and many others. 



The total absence of the slender-branched, corymbose and ca^spi- 

 tose species of Acrap>ora {Madrepora auth.) is one of the most con- 

 spicuous differences between the West Indian and the Indo-Paritic 

 reefs. Such species are exceedingly abundant and varied on the lat- 

 ter, and give to them some of their most striking characteristics. The 

 absence of Pocillopora, Avhich abounds on all the Indo-Pacific reefs, 

 and even in the Panama fauna, is also a striking feature of the West 

 Indian reefs. There are, however, a number of genera that are well 

 developed and abundant in both of these great faunal areas. Among 

 these are Porites, Maiandra, Ftvia, Solenastroea, Mussa, Millipora, 

 and the stout-brauched species of Acropora. 



* A few siuall, simple representatives of this family, from deep water, have 

 been described by Poiirtales. 



f Species of Alveopora have been described as fossils in the later tertiary 

 deposits of some of the islands, but none are known living in the West Indies. 



