ECOLOGY AND TAXONOMY OF Holimeda 83 



For the three species borneensis, distorta and melanesica, the material 

 available is relatively scant and hence the data given are based on 

 fewer than 100 measurements and 10 node dissections. 



3. Treatment of forms and varieties 



In the 1959 revision I placed a number of forms in synonymy, and 

 discussed them in the text of the pertinent species. These details, 

 therefore, are available in Hillis (1959). Since then I have encountered 

 a number of variants in the reef which could be described as forms of 

 species. This is not unexpected since a wide range of variation has 

 occurred in the appearance of the species grown in the laboratory, in- 

 cluding that shown in Fig. 16. To provide many of these variants with 

 separate names, however, seems of questionable value to the taxonomist 

 as well as to the ecologist who is probably working with Halimedae 

 living under a different set of reef conditions, showing variations that are 

 similar, yet not the same. In time we may know enough about the 

 habitat of the different species and the variations encountered within a 

 region to separate forms or varieties meaningfully by habitat, but we do 

 not yet have his information. 



4. Synonymies 



For the earliest known Halimeda species such as tuna and incrassata 

 the lists of synonymies are relatively extensive. The complete list to the 

 time of Barton's monograph (1901) is given in that publication. I have 

 provided in this section references to the type descriptions and species 

 information since 1901. 



5. Geographic distribution 



This information is provided by general region in each ocean, and is 

 discussed further in Section VIII. Detailed distributions are given in 

 Hilhs (1959). 



6. Type specimen depositories 



The abbreviations of Lanjouw and Stafleu (1964) are used to indicate 

 the location of type material. 



