V -REPORT ON THE MEDUSA COLLECTED BY THE U. S. FISH 

 COMMISSION STEAMER ALBATROSS IN THE REGION OF THE 

 GULF STREAM, IN 1885-'86. 



By J. Walter Fewkes. 



The following paper considers the Medusas collected in the summers 

 of the years 1885 and 18SG off the eastern coasts of the United States, 

 in the region of the Gulf Stream. In this collection there are many 

 genera which have already been described from this locality, and others 

 which are believed to be new to science. Many belong to the so-called 

 deep-sea fauna, and some, formerly supposed to be limited to great 

 depths, are recorded by the collector from the surface waters. 



Among Siphonophores, some of the most interesting are new speci- 

 mens of the gigantic physophore, PteropJiysa. One specimen in the 

 collection of these animals reaches the great length of 23 feet in al- 

 cohol. Next to certain recorded specimens of the genus Apolemia, this 

 is one of the largest Physophores yet described, and is the largest yet 

 reported from the waters of the Gulf Stream contiguous to our coast. 

 The new genus Pleurophysa is interesting in its relationship to the 

 Khizophysidae, and the somewhat peculiar characters of the polypites. 



Stomatoca periphylla is recorded for the first time from the western 

 waters of the Atlantic. 



A new Pegantha, a genus which has never before been found in the 

 Gulf Stream, is described. As more and more specimens of the inter- 

 esting genus Atolla, ascribed by Haeckel to the deep-sea fauna, are col- 

 lected, the number of specimens from the surface water is increased. In 

 the present collection we have three more examples of this medusa from 

 the surface. This fact would seem to indicate that the genus is not 

 necessarily confined to the great depth at which it was collected by the 

 Challenger. 



Halicreas and Solmaris incisa are found in the collection, and new 

 facts for the acceptance of the deductions made from previously known 

 specimens recorded. 



JEphyroides rotaformis is represented by several specimens. 



A new CteDophore, of the known genus Callianira, is recorded for the 

 first time from the waters of the Gulf Stream. 



[l] 513 



S. Mis. 90 33 



