132 



This species which in the Danish West 

 Indies does not seem to show any appreciable 

 variations in form is found in very different 

 locahties. It thus occurs in shallow water near 

 the surface of the sea in rather exposed localities, 

 e. g. on the north side of St, Croix at Green Cay 

 Estate and on the south coast at White Bay. In 

 both localities it is gregarious, growing in rather 



large tufts on rocks 



and stones; in the 



first-mentioned loca- 

 lity it was partly 



laid dry when col- 

 lected. Further, it 



is found in quite 



sheltered localities 



in lagoons, e. g. in 



the Lagoon of Chri- 



stianssted, where it 



creeps round on the 



muddy bottom. Also 



in deeper water it 



seems to occur com- 

 monly. In White 



Bay I have thus 



taken it in about 



10 meters depth, 



where it was creep - 

 Fig. 104. Caulerpa taxijolia ( Vahl) ing on the Halimeda- 

 Ag In shallovv water from the gravel which here 

 Lagoon of Ghristianssted. , , 



(About 1:1). covers the bottom m 



great quantities. And 



in the sea at St. Jan I have taken it off America 



Hill in about 30 meters. The specimens collected 



were in all essentials of the same form, only 



with regard to the size was some difference 



evident, the leaves of specimens from deep water 



being very long (16 cm. or more, Fig. 105), while 



the leaves of specimens from shallow water were 



much shorter (Fig. 104). Moreover, in the speci- taxijolia (Vahl) Ag. 



mens from deep water the leaves show a very From deeper water 



^ •' oil America llilJ 



uniform growth while these in the specimens iSt.Jan (About 1:1). 



Fig. 105. Caulerpa 



