CRINOIDEA 



29 



The eggs are attached in chisters to the genital pinnules, the 

 larva not leaving the egg-membrane until the ciliated bands have 



Fig. 14. — Antedon bifida, seen from above (the oral side). Nat. size. 



formed. The Pentacrinoids (Figs. 15-16) may be found in great 

 numbers on Hydroids, wormtubes, algae, etc., in places where the 

 adult abounds, the latter also gener- 

 ally living together in great numbers. 

 It prefers hard bottom, with shells, 

 Hydroids, and the like. 



Two species of Myzostoma infest 

 this species, viz. M. parasiticum 

 Leuckart and M. cirriferum Leuckart. 

 A peritrichous Infusorian, Hemi- 

 speiropsis antedonis Cuenot, occurs 

 among the cirri on the centro- 

 dorsal. 



Along the British coasts this 

 species aj)pears to occur from the 

 Channel round the west coasts to the 

 Shetland Islands and down to Nor- 

 thumberland, but not farther south on the east coast. Also 

 known from the Channel Islands and southward to Portugal. 



Fig. 15. — Petitacrinoids of 

 Antedon bifida attached to 

 a piece of Hydroid. Nat. 

 size. To the left numerous 

 very young specimens, to 

 the right some older speci- 

 mens, of an age corre- 

 sponding to that of the 

 Pentacrinoid represented 

 in Fig. 16. 



