GONIOPORA. 11 



rothen Meeres,' p. 155), for on p. 98 he suggested that the Astrace might be divided into two 

 subgenera : (1) Astrophyllia with solid lamellate septa ; (2) Goniopora with septa perforated, 

 ragged and discontinuous, carrying rows of teeth. While again, on p. 107, he seems to have 

 hesitated as to whether Goniopora was the same as Astrcea or Porites. 



The type species G. pedunculala does not appear either among his Astreeae or his 

 Madrepora-porites. 



In 1848, Dana (Zoophytes, p. 549) placed Goniopora with Porites, the two forming the 

 family Poritidse (see above, p. 4). This, however, was not done without some hesitation, for 

 on p. 407 there occurs a note to the effect that the genus Goniopora might possibly belong to 

 the Caryophyllacea, occupying a place in that tribe corresponding to the place of Porites in the 

 Madreporacea. The two genera were said to differ in size of polyps. In Porites, they are 

 small (average 1 mm.) with only 12 tentacles, but large (2-4 mm.) in Goniopora, with 16-24 

 tentacles. In Goniopora the calicles are often much deeper than in Porites. 



The genus Goniopora, according to Dana, who only found one new " species " called 

 " G. columna" from Fiji, only occurs in the Pacific and Indian oceans. At the same time he 

 suggested that the coral from the Eed Sea figured by Savigny (Descr. de l'figypte, pL v. fig. 2) 

 might also be a Goniopora. 



According to the first published opinion of Milne-Edwards and Haime,* the Goniopores 

 were Astrseids with fenestrated septa, and divisible into two genera Goniopora, with obsolete f 

 calicles, and Porastrcca with deep calicles. The walls were described as spongy, and the stock 

 as increasing by budding and provided with a thin incomplete epitheca. On founding their 

 Madreporaria perforata % they accepted Dana's family Poritidse with Porites and Goniopora, thus 

 dissociating the latter entirely from the Astrseids. On the position to which they assigned the 

 family see above, p. 4. The name Porastrcea disappeared with the idea which it embodied, 

 and the genus became Goniopora. The words " fenestrated septa " also disappeared in favour 

 of " trabecular septa " in accordance with their morphological theory as to the origin of the 

 Madreporarian skeleton. On these points see above, pp. 4 and 5. Their amended description of 

 the genus, which seems to limit it to forms with deep calicles and thin walls, ran as follows : — 



Epitheca rudimentary, walls distinct, raised,fenestrated, and simple, calicles deep, columella 

 spongy and irregular. Usually three cycles of septa which are distinct, formed of somewhat 

 large trabecular especially internally, where in " young " and marginal calicles they form a ring 

 of pali-like lobes. These entirely disappear in the " adult " calicles. (On this last point as to 

 whether the marginal or the central calicles are the older, see below, p. 27.) 



The nearest related genera were said to be the fossil Liiharma, a new genus Rhodaroea § 

 and Alveopora.\ The first was said, quite erroneously, to have less trabecular septa, i.e. more 



* C.E., xxvii. (1848) p. 496. 



■f The authors were apparently misled, because the type of their Goniopora is " G. pedwiculata " 

 Q. & G., which has deep calicles. 



% C.R., xxix. (1849) p. 258 ; and Ann. Sci. Nat., xvi. (1851) p. 21. 



§ On the position assigned to these genera in this Catalogue, see list, p. 9. 



C 2 



