46 



Color. The colony is a bright scarlet and the polyps are white with chrome yellow 

 spindles. The spicules are red and yellow. 



General distribution. The type locality is Sagami Bay, Japan; 600 meters. It has 

 also been reported from Okinose Bank, Japan; 80 260 meters. 



The specimen from Station 114 is very delicate, with reddish polyps. It is referred with 

 some doubt to this species. 



3. Acabaria formosa new species. (Plate VII, figs. 3, 3^; Plate XII, fig. 3). 



Stat. 240. Banda Anchorage. 9 to 45 meters. Black sand and coral. Lithothamnion bank in 

 1 8 36 meters. 



The specimens consist of a number of fragments which are exceedingly fragile and 

 brittle. One of the larger fragments consists of a branch 8 cm. long. The denuded axis of 

 the main stem of the branch is 1.9 cm. long and is round, having a diameter of 1.2 mm. 

 It bifurcates at the first node which is triangular in form, 2.8 mm. long and almost equilateral. 

 Each of the branches bifurcates twice, but one resultant branchlet is missing, and the branches 

 are separated by a comparatively wide angle. The furcation is angular and not U-shaped as 

 in so many species of this genus. The internodes of the branches are fairly even, averaging 

 about 1.4 mm. long and 1.5 mm. in diameter between the calyces. The calyces are all lateral 

 and usually alternate, those on one side often showing a tendency to bend alternately to the 

 front and back, like the teeth of a saw. 



The individual calyces are very large and conspicuous and their golden yellow color is 

 remarkably vivid. They are in the form of symmetrical truncated cones, a typical one measuring 

 1.7 mm. high and 2.1 mm. broad at the base. Their walls are straight and do not curve to 

 the general level of the coenenchyma, as is usually the case, but are sharply differentiated 

 from their very bases. The distance between adjacent calyces varies, but 1.5 mm. seems fairly- 

 typical. The margin bears 8 regular scallops or lobes, the polyps are retractile, but usually 

 rest with their collarets just above the calyx margins. They are heavily spiculated, with a 

 well-marked collaret composed of strong bent spindles in two or three encircling rows. Above 

 the collaret the spindles are arranged en chevron over the tentacle bases, forming 8 strong 

 points, each point being composed of a bundle of spindles. Beyond these points the dorsal 

 surfaces of the tentacles are armed with longitudinal spindles. 



Spicules. These are thorny spindles and clubs. The spindles are usually more slender 

 than in most Melitodidse and often curved. They are relatively quite numerous. There are also 

 small spindles with two whorls of verrucas in addition to the terminal knobs. The characteristic 

 clubs show a proximal comparatively smooth acicular part and a clavate distal portion armed 

 with numerous spiny points. The spicules of the axis are deep crimson. 



Color. The colony in general, including the polyps, is a very vivid chrome yellow and 

 the axis is bright crimson. The ccenenchyma is thin and allows the color of the axis to show 

 through as a bright pink. This is one of the most brilliantly colored species that I have seen. 



