6o 



BATHYMETRIC. 



i to 



50 



meters 



50 to 



100 



meters 



loo to 

 200 



meters 



200 to 



500 

 meters 



Over 



500 



meters 



GEOGRAPHIC, ASIDE FROM DUTCH 

 EAST INDIES. 



MELITODID.E. 



Melitodes ochracea * 



Melitodes flabellum * * 



Melitodes variabilis * 



Melitodes esperi * * 



Melitodes squamata * 



Melitodes modest a * * 



Acabaria philippinensis . * 



Acabaria tennis * * 



Acabaria formosa * 



Acabaria hicksoni ' 



Acabaria triangttlata 



Mopsella clavigera * 



Mopsella studeri * * 



Mopsella spongiosa * 



Wrightella coccinea . * 



Wrightella tongaensis * * 



Parisis fruticosa . * 



Parisis minor 



Birotidata splendens * 



Indian Ocean. 



Indian Ocean. 



Indian Ocean. 



Indian Ocean. 



Indian Ocean. 

 Japan. 



Indian Ocean. 



Indian Ocean (Mauritius), Cape of Good Hope. 

 Tonga Islands. (South Pacific). 

 Sooloo Sea, Indian Ocean, Australia. 

 Hyalonema Grounds (Japan). 



This table clearly indicates that the Scleraxonia are essentially Indo-Pacific in distribution, 

 but five species being found so far north as Japan, four extending south to Australia and one 

 to the Tonga Islands. Wrightella coccinea strays as far from the type locality as the Cape of 

 Good Hope. Fourteen of the twenty one hitherto described species are found in the Indian 

 Ocean, which seems the centre of distribution for the group, and not a single species is surely 

 known to occur in the Atlantic Ocean. 



In bathymetric distribution this suborder is mainly from shallow water, thirty six of the 

 thirty nine species in the collection being found at less depths than 100 meters, and but ten 

 species reaching a depth of over 500 meters. It is a remarkable fact that eight of the ten 

 species referred to are also found at depths of less than 100 fathoms. The paucity of forms 

 found between 100 and 500 meters is doubtless mainly accidental, as it is reasonable to suppose 

 that the eight species found at less than 100 meters and over 500 meters really occur at 

 intermediate depths. 



The deepest dredging at which a species of this suborder was secured in 2264 1165 

 meters, where Suberia macrocalyx was taken. Next to this comes Solenocaulon querciformis 

 from a depth of 828 meters. But the identification of this specimen is somewhat doubtful. 



