THE GORGONACEA OF THE SIBOGA EXPEDITION 



VI. THE GORGONELLID^ 



C. C. NUTTING, 



Professor of Zoology, State University of Iowa. 



With II plates. 



(Aided by a grant from the Elizabeth Thompson science fund.) 



Family Gorgonellid.e Studer. 



Gorgondlacea Valenciennes. Comptes rendus, XLI, 1855, p. 14. 



Gorgonellacces Milne Edwards et Haime. Histoire naturelle des Coralliaires, II, 1857, p. 182. 



Elhselluhe -|- Calligorgiidce (pars) Gray. Catalogue of Lithophytes in the British Museum, 1 870, 



pp. 24, 34. 

 Gorgonellacec2 Kolliker. Icones Histiologicse, II, 1865, p. 139. 

 Gorgonellidie Studer. Anthozoa Alcyonaria, welche während der Reise S. M. S. Gazelle um 



die Erde gesammelt wurden, 1878, p. 656. 

 Gorgonellidtc Studer. Versuch eines Systemes der Alcyonaria, 1887, p. 68. 

 Gorgonellidce Wright and Studer. Challenger Reports, the Alcyonaria, 1889, p. 153. 

 Gorgonellidce Studar. Alcyonarien aus der Sammlung des Naturhistorischen Museums in Lübeck, 



1894, p. 1 16. 

 Gorgonellime Delage et Herouard. Traite de Zoologie Concrete, II, 2, 1901, p. 428. 

 GorgonellidiC Nutting. Hawaiian Alcyonaria, 1908, p. 597. 

 Gorgonellidce Thomson and Simpson. Alcyonaria of the Indian Ocean, part II, 1909, p. 265. 



This family seems to be a fairly natural one, and may be defined as follows: 



Gorgonacea with an amorphous calcareous a.xis cylinder which is not jointed and the 



core of which is solidly calcareous and often surrounded by concentric lamella; of alternating 



calcareous and horny layers. The axis is never composed of fused si)icules. The branches often 



show a median bare space and furrow, especially when flattened. The polyps are retractile, 



SIllÜGA-EXPEDITIE XlUii'. 



