132 ALLAN HANCOCK PACIFIC EXPEDITIONS VOL. 8 



Genus 4. PHYLLOPHORUS Grube, 1840 



Phyllophorus Auctores. Nee Phyllophorus Heding, 1936 (Thyonidium 



Diiben & Koren). 

 Thyonidium Auctores. Nee Thyonidium Diiben & Koren, 1844, p. 303. 



Diagnosis. — Medium-sized forms (6-15 cm.) with feet distributed in 

 the interambulacra. Tentacles up to 20 in number, of varying size, not 

 sharply set off into 2 circles ; the complete number is reached late in the 

 animal's life. Calcareous ring with distinct posterior prolongations on 

 the radials ; interradials well developed, of varying shape ; ring often com- 

 posed of smaller pieces, mosaiclike. 



Spicules 2- to 4-pillared tables, spire usually retained. Feet with large 

 end plate ; walls with or without supporting tables, or a few rods. Intro- 

 vert usually with tables with low spire and numerous perforations in the 

 disk; tentacles with either perforated plates or delicate rods; rosettes 

 seem normally to be present in the introvert and tentacles. Shallow-water 

 forms, tropical and subtropical. 



Type species. — Phyllophorus urna Grube. 



Remarks. — The type species is common in the Mediterranean Sea. 

 Grube's description and figures are not particularly convincing, but an 

 excellent account is given by Sars (1846). Unfortunately it is written in 

 the Norwegian language and is therefore not so well known as it deserves. 

 A number of tropical species belong to this genus. (See Engel, 1933, and 

 Deichmann, 1930 and 1938.) 



From American waters 5 species are reported from the West Indies 

 and coast of Brazil. From the tropical west coast of America 2 species 

 are known. One was described by Ludwig in 1894, the other by Deich- 

 mann in 1938. The latter species is closely related to one of the West 

 Indian forms, while that of Ludwig seems completely unrelated to all 

 other members of the genus. No true Phyllophorus is known from the 

 west coast of North America, or from Chile or Hawaii. 



Key to the Species of Phyllophorus Known from the 



Panamic Region 



1. Spicules tables with oval disk with an average of 8 marginal 

 holes; spire distinctly 4 pillared, usually with a single cross- 

 beam and ending in a large number of spines. Feet with large 

 end plate and numerous supporting tables with broad elongate 

 disk with numerous holes and a huge spire ending in a conical 



