Order V. STELECHOTOKEA, Bourne. 



SECTION I.— ASIPHONACEA. 



Family TsLESTiDAi. 



GENUS TELESTO, Lamouroux. 



Telesto arborea, Wright and Studer. 



This species is essentially a shallow-water form, as indeed are nearly all 

 the representatives of the genus, the only exception being Telesto arthuri, Hick- 

 son, which is recorded from 232-430 fathoms in the Indian Ocean. All the 

 specimens of this species collected by Crossland around Zanzibar were found 

 in shallow water under 10 fathoms, and the type specimen in the " Challenger" 

 collection was dredged at a depth of 49 fathoms. 



The collection includes numerous colonies, from four different localities. 

 Some of them attain a length of 235 mm. Those from the Andamans are of 

 a dark brown colour, but the others are creamy-white to yellowish. They 

 agree with the description given by Wright and Studer, but in some cases 

 the polyps are larger — the verrucifi sometimes measuring 6 mm. while those 

 with the tentacles simply infolded attain a length of 9 mm. The spicules are 

 essentially as described, but many of the spindles have the warts more 

 densely packed. From the eight ridges on the verrueiu prominent bands of 

 spicules extend along the aboral surface of the tentacles. When the tentacles 

 are infolded the bands of spicules form a distinct eight-rayed star. 



It is interesting to note the number of epizoic animals found on almost 

 all the specimens. Many are covered by an encrusting monaxonid sponge 

 which quite obliterates even the contour of the colony. Groups of acorn- 

 shells are very common and young pearl oysters are of not infrequent occur- 

 rence. Various Ophiuroids are also seen clinging to the larger stems, 

 while small Polychsets have burrows between the encrusting sponge and the 

 colony. 



Localities : Andamans, Marine Survey, 270-45 fathoms ; southern portion 

 of Malacca Strait ; Gaspar Straits ; East Coast of Sumatra ; Karachee. 



Previously recorded from the Arafura Sea, 49 fathoms ; also from Zanzibar, 

 10 fathoms. 



Several fragments in the Wood-Mason Collection, the largest of which is 

 65 mm. in length, undoubtedly belong to this species. They are coral-red in 



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