Boone, Coelenterata, Cruises of "Eagle" and "Ara," 1921-28 55 



Genus : KHIPIDOGORGIA Valenciennes. 

 Rhipidogorgia flabellum (Linne). 



Plate 17, text figure 1. 



Name : Royal Sea-Fan. 



Type: Linnaeus simply states "Habitat in Oceano omni." The 

 depository is not stated. 



Distribution : A reef-dwelling species found throughout the West 

 Indian region from southern Florida to the shores of northern Brazil. 



Material examined: Several specimens from Nassau, Bahamas. 

 Several from Port Tanamo, Cuba. 



Description: Because of its great beauty this species was one of 

 the first to be carried to Europe by the returning explorers. It was 



Text fig. 1. — A. Spicules of Ehipidogorgia flabellum (Linn6), greatly enlarged. 

 B. An enlarged section of the fan. (B, after Agassiz.) 



treasured in the cabinets of the kings and queens of Spain, France 

 and England. Queen Elizabeth had a fan made of one. 



Hans Sloane records that it was used in earlier colonial times by 

 the wealthier planters to provide coolness and to keep away the flies 

 and ' ' Merrywings " (mosquitoes). 



Color: In life the network forming the fan is a rich, dark wine- 

 purple not infrequently marked with bright yellow. Sometimes this 

 bright yellow is the predominating color, or even the entire fan is 



