ANTIPATHARIA. 



By C. F0R8TER-C00PER, M.A., Trinitij College, Cambridge. 



(With Plate LXV.) 



The collection of Antipath;iria obtained in the Maldive islands consists of eleven species 

 all belonging to the subfamily Dekanierota (Schultze') and to the subtribes Indivisae and 

 Ramosae ( Brook ^). 



As in many othei' groups of the Coelenterata, in the Antipatharia it is very difficult 

 to decide what characters constitute a " species." In the main divisions there are characters 

 of indisjjutable value sufficient to clearly mark otf the subfamilies Dodekamerota, Dekamerota, 

 and Hexamerota^ But, on considering the forms within some of these groups, we find not 

 only a considerable amount of variation in the characters but also annectent forms between 

 specimens, which might otherwise be regarded as distinct species. We are here only con- 

 cerned with one subfamily, the Dekamerota, and with four of its suborders, Cirripathes, 

 Stichopathes, Antipathes and Aphanipathes, within which all the specimens in the Maldivan 

 collection are comprised. 



The anatomy of the forms in these four groups yields us very few, if any, characters 

 of assistance. The major anatomy is precisely similar for all of them, that is to say they 

 have the ten mesenteries in the upper division of the coelenteron, the invariable six tentacles, 

 and the gonads are formed in the usual way on the larger mesenteries. Further in the minute 

 anatomy of those species which I have been able to study, this similarity is the same even 



' Schiiltze, F. E., "Beit, zur System der Antipatharia." Older Indivisak. 



Ergebniase einer zool. Forschungsreise vou Kiikenthal in Colony free, in the form of a simple unbranched 



Abhandl. der Seiickenberg. Nuturf. Gesellscli., Bd xxiii. 18it6. stem. 



'^ Brook, G., Challetiyer Reports, Vol. xxxii. CiiTijmthes, 



' The following is Schultze's classification which is used Stichopathes. 



^*''^- Order Ramosae. 



.intipathidae (Verrill em Br.). Colony free, branched. 



1. Subfamily Bodekamekota (Sch.). Antipathes, 



Aphanipathes, 

 Parantipathes. 

 Tribe II. Peristome in the form of two short involu- 



12 mesenteries arise in the upper coelenteric space. 

 Leiopathes (Gray em Br.). 



2. Subfamily Dekamerota (Sch.). tions penetrating into the coelenteric space. 



10 mesenteries arise in the upper coelenteric space. Schizopathes, 



Bathypathes, 

 l'a.rij)athes. 



Tribe I. Involutions of peristome wanting. 

 Order Ceustosae. 



Colonies cover foreign bodies with a crust, only 3. Subfamily Hexameeota. 



the end branches being free. 6 mesenteries arise in the upper coelenteric space. 



Savagliopsis. Cladopathes. 



