378 PART II. SYSTEMATIC ACCOUNT 



front edge slightly thicker and darker than the rest (Fig. 152C). These plaques 

 are 12/x across. On the remaining part of the trunk the ventral papillae vary 

 in size and lie in no sort of order. In the zone of thickening there are few 

 papillae, the plaques of which are distinguished by their round shape and 

 somewhat exceed in size those of the metameric region, reading 13-15//. 

 across. A broad, darkish, crescentic thickening along the front edge of each 

 plaque is crossed by numerous lines perpendicular to the edge (Fig. 152Z)). 

 The region of the girdles and the postannular section of the trunk remain 

 unknown. 



The tentacles (in 1 specimen) are с 3 mm long, the fore-part of the body 

 0-5-0-8 mm long, and the mesosoma 0-08-0-16 mm broad. 



The pale rings of the elastic yellow-brown fibreless tube are regular, with 

 even edges. Their length varies, but never exceeds the diameter of the tube. 

 The interspaces between the rings are clear but narrow (Fig. \52E). The 

 biggest scrap of tube measures 4-5 cm long and 0-17 mm in diameter. 



This species is distinguished from D. japonica by the smaller size of the 

 body, the powerful development of the bridle, the dorsally fused keels, the 

 smaller size of the cuticular plaques (12/x across instead of 25/г), the round 

 plaques of the zone of the thickening, and the absence of transverse fibres 

 from the walls of the tube. 



Material: 14 small pieces of tubes, four with incomplete animals. 



Locality: the Indian Ocean to the east of Rodriguez Island (20°S 63°E). 



Depth: 580 m. 



[3. Diplobrachia capillaris (Southward) (Fig. A152) 

 Southward, 1959: 441-3, Fig. 2. 



The tubes are dark chestnut brown and look very much like hairs; the 

 specific name capillaris refers to this likeness. The tube wall is stiff and, in the 

 anterior part at least, is made up of short overlapping segments (Fig. A\S2A). 

 Occasionally the colourless lining layer extends a few mm beyond the first 

 segment. The first few segments are pale brown and unringed; the later 

 segments and the unsegmented part of the tube are marked with regular light 

 and dark brown rings (Fig. А152у4), or half rings. The posterior end of the 

 tube is yellow; the wall is thinner, but still ringed, and is occasionally 

 surrounded by short segments of a darker outer layer. The diameter is 

 constant along any individual tube and may be from 0-12 to 0-17 mm in 

 different individuals, but is usually between 0-13 and 0-14 mm. 



It is difficult to assess the length of the complete tube or animal, since all 



