REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. LXI 



Each haul brought up an abundance of Echiuoderms, mainly star- 

 fishes. The number of new species taken was considerable. Certain 

 forms were so plenty that they were cast overboard again by the bushel. 

 Many curious modifications of structure occur among them. An in- 

 teresting form, Biplopter aster multipes Verrill, is large and thick, with 

 short arms, a rich purple above, beneath orange streaked with brown, 

 the feet large and purple and arranged in four rows. Twenty species 

 of star-fish were taken at one haul. Sea-urchins were not abundant, 

 only a few species being taken. Some of these, however, were new and 

 remarkable. Among them is a large species hitherto known only from 

 off Florida. Several others were northern forms. 



Annelids and other worms occurred in great variety. One new species 

 was perhaps more plenty than any otlier form of life in those depths. It 

 has been named Hyalinoeeia artifex Verrill. In general appearance this 

 is something like the common clam-worm, Nereis. But it secretes a 

 tube 10 or 12 inches in length, of a horny substance, quill-like, amber- 

 colored, sometimes one-third of an inch in diameter. The tubes con- 

 taining the animal probably lie loosely on the bottom, but it is likely 

 that tlie animal is sometimes able to swim about, dragging its tube 

 behind. Often the trawl came up filled with their tubes. The large 

 seamouse, Aphrodita, which is often found on our own coast, was also 

 plentiful. 



The forms of life thus far described are mostly those which have 

 hitherto occurred only in the colder regions of the North Atlantic or 

 those which show strong affinities to northern forms. We now come 

 to the shell-bearing moUusca, and another wonderful variety of forms 

 is discovered. The alliances of some of these are with tropical species, 

 many being represented by similar species in the West Indies. The 

 new form of rake-dredge did good service in the collecting of sbells, 

 nearly every haul bringing up something new. Conspicuous among 

 the new species is a Trochus-like form, CaUiostoma Bairdii V. and S., 

 by far the handsomest shell found on the New England coast. This 

 presents a decidedly tropical aspect. Two species of Solarium also 

 occurred, both of small size. Another shell taken sparingly was Dolium 

 Bairdii V. and S., a representative of a genus one would hardly expect 

 here. These are all Gasteropods. The Lamellibranchs present, among 

 many others, thiee genera new to the coast and remarkable for their 

 -close affinities to fossil forms. These are JHplodonta, Mytilimcria, and 

 Pholadomya. Of the latter there is only one other living s])ecies, which 

 occurs on the coast of Africa. Mingled with these were a large number 

 of northern species of shells. In all, more than 200 S])ecies of mollusks 

 were taken, of which more than 100 were additions to the American 

 fauna, and nearly 75 new to science. 



A surprising feature of life at the bottom is the large number of sea- 

 anemones, some being of great size. They are attached to everything. 



