56 Bulletin, Vanderbilt Marine Museum, Vol. IV 



bright yellow. When expanded the polyps are decidedly projected, 

 small, and delicate, translucent, flower-like. 



Discussion : This is the large sea-fan found abundantly in the West 

 Indian region and is readily distinguished in the field by its coloration 

 and fan-like shape. On the outer reefs in three to eight fathoms of 

 water, it frequently attains a height of six or seven feet and width 

 of five to six feet. The shape of the fan is largely controlled by 

 environment, sometimes being long and narrow, sometimes round or 

 widely oval. Not infrequently smaller fans develop at different angles 

 from the larger ones; sometimes two or three fans develop from the 

 same base. 



Specific identification of this fan is dependent upon the spicules 

 found embedded in the coenchyma, which have the characteristic 

 shapes shown in figure 1. The network of the fan is closely reticu- 

 lated, the calicles arranged as shown. 



References: Gorgonia flabellum Linne, Syst. Nat. ed. 12, p. 1293, 

 1767, (with early references) ; Esper. Pflanz, vol. II, pis. 2, 3A, 

 1794. — Dana, J. D., Zooph., 1846; also the majority of other 

 writers up to 1857. — Kolliker, Icones Histiol., vol. II, 1865. — 

 Verrill, Amer. Jrn. Sci., vol. XL VIII, p. 424, 1869, (designates 

 G. flabellum the type of the most restricted genus of Gorgonia) ; 

 Trans. Conn. Acad. Arts and Sci., vol. X, p. 568 ; ibid, vol. XII, 

 p. 297, text fig. 142, pi. 33c, fig. 1, pi. 36, fig. 1, 1904-1907.— 

 Hargitt and Rogers, Bull. U. S. Fish. Comm., vol. XX, pt. 2, 

 p. 287, pi. 3, 1901. 



Ehipidogorgia flabellum Bielschowsky, Zool. Jahrb. suppl. 16, 

 Heft. 1, p. 194, 1929, (with full synonymy). 



Genus : PTEEOGORGIA Ehrenberg. 

 Pterogorgia acerosa forma typica Bielschowsky. 



Plate 18, text figure 2. 



Name: Royal Sea-Plume. 



Type: Pallas gives as type locality: "Seas of America and the 

 Mediterranean." The depository of his type is believed to be either 

 Leyden or the Belgian Museum. 



Distribution: Littoral in 3 to 10 fms., on the reefs, throughout 

 the West Indian region. 



