[fraser] HYDROIDS OF THE VANCOUVER ISLAND REGION 121 



Key to the species of Eudendrium found in the Vancouver I. region. 



A. Stems and branches strongly annulated. 



a. Stems coarse. 



1 . Rings very distinct and close together E. calif ornicum 



2. Rings less distinct and farther apart E. vaginatum 



b. Stems slender E. insigne 



B. Stems and branches with but few annulations. 



a. Stems fascicled E. rameum 



b. Stem simple 



1. Hydranths entirely aborted on pedicels that bear gono- 



phores E. capillar e 



2. Hydranths not aborted E. tenellum 



Eudendrium californicum Torrey 



PI. V, Fig. 12 



Eudendrium californicum Torrey, Hyd. of the Pacific Coast, 1902, 



p. 32. 

 Eudendrium californicum Fraser, West Coast Hydroids, 1911, p. 24. 



Trophosome. — Stems stout, simple, in clusters from an encrusting 

 plate-like hydrorhiza; branches stiff and short as compared with the 

 length of the main stem, given off in all planes, each making a wide 

 angle with the stem but distally turning in nearly the same direction 

 as the stem; hydranths large with about 20 tentacles; perisarc on stem, 

 branches and pedicels, very distinctly annulated with narrow an- 

 nulations, extending over the body of the hydranth to the base of the 

 tentacles. 



Gonosome. — "Female gonophores monothalamic, crowded on the 

 body of the hydranth immediately proximal to the tentacles, each 

 gonophore with usually one ovum to which its orange color is due; 

 male gonophores dithalamic in two or three whorls just proximal to the 

 tentacles, a delicate pink with small green spadix, gonophores of both 

 sexes invested with perisarc." (Torrey). 



Color. — Perisarc dark brown or black; hydranths flesh pink; color 

 of gonophores given above. 



Distribution.— -Port Renfrew, Ucluelet (Fraser); Northumberland 

 Channel. Torrey gives the length of the stem as 140 mm. but I have 

 found none longer than 90 mm. There are no gonophores on any of my 

 specimens, consequently I have given the original description of 

 Torrey's. He does not figure the male gonosome but a figure of the 

 female is given and that has been made use of here. 



