36o THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



CHAPTER VI 



CORJLS, SEJ-JNEMONES, AND 

 JELLY-FISHES 



W 



r^t 



P^tlo hy IV. Savill,-Krr,l, F.Z.S. 



A MUSHROOM-CORAL FULLY EXPANDED 



In this condition the coral^ or ikeUton of the animal^ is entirely concealed 



'Y\'\\ the Sea-anemones and 

 Jell)'-tishes almostthe lowest 

 organised group of living 

 animals is reached. As typified by an 

 ordinary sea-anemone, the body may 

 be described as a simple sac, the 

 orifice of which is inverted for some 

 little distance, and held in position 

 with relation to the outer wall by a 

 series of radiating partitions. One or 

 more rows of tentacles, varying in 

 number and character according to the 

 species, surround the mouth of this 

 partially inverted sac. There is no 

 distinct intestinal track, the whole 

 space enclosed within the outer wall 

 and ramifying anmng the radiating 

 partitions containing the digestive 

 juices. The radiating membranous 

 partitions develop upon their surfaces the reproductive elements, and in the case of Corals, 

 which are merely skeleton-producing 

 sea-anemones, partly secrete within ^' 

 them the symmetrical radiating cal- 

 careous plates so characteristic of the 

 group. 



Some thirty odd species of sea- 

 anemones are indigenous to British 

 w^aters, and one or more of these 

 will be familiar to most readers. The 

 Str.wvberrv-axemoxe, clinging to the 

 rocks as a hemispherical lump of 

 crimson, green; brown, or red and 

 yellow speckled jelly when the tide is 

 down, and expanding like a beautiful ij... 

 flower when the waters flow back upon 

 it, is the commonest and in many 

 respects the most beautiful of all, tlic 

 circlet of turquoise beads, regarded .1- 

 rudimentary eyes, developed arouii'l 

 the outer margin of the tentacles, add- 

 ing a charm possessed by few other 

 species. The D.\HLL\-ANEMONE, whose fj^-'tvN* 

 expanded disk and innumerable petal- 

 like tentacles may measure as much • ■: , k/- v. 



as 6 or 8 inches in diameter, is the musHROOM-COR ALS, WITH THE ANEMOxNE- 

 largest British species. These dimen- LIKE POLYP EXPANDED 



sions are, however, vastly exceeded by Taken through the water on a coral-re^ 



