ALCYONARIANS. — BRIGGS. 79 



Family PRDIXOID.E. 



Genus Stachyodes, Wright and Studer. 



Stachyodes studeri, Versluys. 



Stachyodes regularis, Wright and Studer. Chall. Rep., Zool., 

 xxxi., 1889, p. 55, pi. xi., figs. 2, 2a, pi. xx., fig. 3. 



Stachyodes studeri, Vershivs, Gorgoniden Siboga Exped., 

 ii., Primnoidfe, 1906, p. 94, figs. 112-117. Id., Thom- 

 son and Mackinnon, Mem. Austr. Mus., iv., 13, 1911, 

 p. 680. 



A single specimen in the collection agrees with the descrip- 

 tion of Stachyodes studeri given by Versluys. The fragment 

 is 55 mm. in length, without a basal attachment. The 

 polyps occur in whorls of eight to ten. Whorls of new young 

 polyp buds are sometimes visible between the whorls of 

 adult polyps. 



The colour of the specimen is creamy-white ; the axis is 

 greenish-bronze, with fine longitudinal striations. 



Locality. — Off Long Reef, New South Wales, 50 fathoms. 



Distribution. — " Challenger " Station 171, off the Kermadec 

 Islands, 600 fathoms (Wright and Studer). Celebes Sea, 

 1080 and 1165-1264 metres (Versluys). The " Thetis " 

 specimens w^ere obtained off the coast of New South Wales 

 at the following localities : — Station 15, off Xorah Head, 32- 

 48 fathoms ; Station 42, off Wata Mooli, 70-78 fathoms ; 

 Station 44, off Coogee, 49-50 fathoms (Thomson and Mac- 

 kinnon). 



Nuttingi records the occurrence of Stachyodes regularis, 

 Wright and Studer, at " Albatross " Station 3879, south of 

 Lanai Island, 923-1081 fathoms. He states, moreover, that 

 " the original specimens were secured by the Challenger in the 

 South Atlantic, near Tristan da Cunha, 75-150 fathoms." I 

 can find no authority for this locality, since Wright and 

 Studer and Versluys state definitely that the type locality is 

 the Kermadec Islands. 



1. Nutting — Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., xxxiv., 1908, p. 577. 



