Invertebrate Gallery of the Indian Museum. 27 



2nd Family Oculinidge — In this family the corallum is 

 always compound, forming tall branching colonies, the 

 calices or cups of the individual corallites being borne on 

 the sides and tips of the branches. As growth goes on, the 

 calices often fill up with stony deposit. So far as is known 

 only two species of Oculinidge occur in Indian waters, 

 namely, Lophohelia and Cyathohelia. The Ocultnida^ are 

 represented in Case 16 by the following genera : — Lopho- 

 helia from the depths, Cyathohelia from the Madras coast 

 and from Japan, and Amphihelia from Japan. 



3rd Family PocllIoporJdse. — In this family the coral 

 consists of a branching tree-like colony bearing crowds 

 of small calices with small or rudimentary septa — the 

 calices often filling up with stony deposit. 



The Pocilloporidse consist of only two genera — 

 Pocillopova and Seriatopora, both of which are common 

 reef-forms, and are found in abundance in the shallow 

 waters of the Indian Seas. Numerous species are repre- 

 sented in Case 16. 



4th Family Astrasldse. — A very large family, some of 

 which are simple, but the majority of which form the 

 great massive boulder-like colonies of the coral-reefs. In 

 structure the Astraeoid much resembles the Turbinoloid 

 coral, but the corallum in the Astraeidse differs in havino- 

 the chambers between the septa (interseptal loculi) more 

 or less crossed by strands of coral known as "dissepi- 

 ments." 



The Astrxidai are represented in Cases 14-15 by the 

 following genera — all from the coral-reefs of the Indian 

 Seas : — Montlivaltia, one of the simple Astrseans which 

 does not form branching colonies ; Cylicia, one of the 

 genera which forms creeping colonies ; Cladocora, Tra- 

 chyphyllia, Mussa, Euphyllia, Mxandrina, Cceloria, 

 Symphyllia, Tridacophyllia, Hydnophora^ Favia, Goni- 

 astrsea. Phymastrxa, Plesiastrsea, Echinopora, Galaxea 

 Leptastrsea^ Prionastrsea, Mcrulina — all these last being 

 true reef-corals forming branching or mpssive turf like 

 colonies. 



