ALCYONARIANS. — BRIGGS. 67 



Genus Acabaria, Gray. 

 In his " Die Gorgonidenfamilie der Melitodidae." Kiiken- 

 thal' includes the genus Psilacabaria Ridley in Acabaria 

 Gray — " Zu dieser Gattung rechne ich auch die Gattinig 

 Psilacabaria Ridley, die keine durchgreifenden Merkmale 

 aufzuweisen hat. Insbesondere tritt das Abgehen der Zweige 

 in rechtem Winkel auch bei andern Arten ein. Hierhin gehort 

 auch Anicella Gray, nicht zu Melitodes, wie Ridley will." 



Acabaria gracillima {Ridley). 



Psilacabaria gracillima, Ridley, Report Zool. Coll. H.M.S. 

 "Alert," 1884, p. 364, pi. xxxvii., figs. J)-T>\ pi. 

 xxxviii., figs, f-fi^ Id., Thomson and Mackinnon, 

 Mem. Austr. Mus., iv., 13, 1911, p. 671. 



A number of broken pieces in a dried condition are referred 

 to this species. The largest fragment is 90 mm. high. 

 Branching is dichotomous and approximately in one plane. 

 The branches are given off approximately at right angles, 

 although in several instances the angle of the dichotomy is 

 somewhat smaller. They have a diameter of about 1 mm. 

 There is no anastomosis. The axis is hard and white. 



The polyps occur in spirals on the large branches, but, 

 on the twigs, they have an irregular bilateral arrangement. 

 The individual calyces are low, rounded, tubercular verrucae. 



The spicules include the following types : — (1) large 

 cylinders, fusiform to subclavate, slightly tapering to round- 

 pointed ends and provided with tubercles arranged roughly 

 in whorls— -280 x -070 mm. ; -262 x -052 mm. ; -245 x -070 

 mm. ; (2) smaller spindles, more or less curved, with sharply 

 pointed ends, and tubercles — -262 x -070 mm. ; -245 x -052 

 mm.; -210 x -052 mm. ; (3) small subclavate spicules, 

 tapering from a broad to a sharp-pointed end, with tubercles 

 —•210 X -053 mm. ; -201 x -043 mm. ; -192 x -035 mm. 



The colour is cream to violet. 



Locality. — Great Australian Bight, Long. 131°E., 62 

 fathoms. 



Distribution. — Port Molle, Queensland, 12-20 fathoms ; Port 

 Darwin, North Australia, 8-12 fathoms ; East AustraUa, 42 

 fathoms (Ridley). The " Thetis " specimens were obtained 

 at the following localities off the coast of New South Wales : — 

 Station 34, off Port Jackson, 39-36 fathoms ; Station 36, off 

 Botany Bay, 23-20 fathoms ; Station 48, off Wollongong, 

 55-56 fathoms ; South coast of New South Wales (Thomson 

 and Mackinnon). 



1. Kiikenthal — Zool. Anz., xxxiii., 1908, p. 194. 



