42 G 



Canadian Arctic Expedition, 1913-1918 

 Radicipes gracilis Verrill. 



Lepidogorgia gracilis VERRILL, op. cit., 1884, p. 220; op. cit., 1885, pp. 512, 533, 

 pi. II, figs. 10, lOa. 



lOa 



Figs. 10 and lOa. Radicipes gracilis Verrill. Fig. 10. Portion from the middle of the stalk bearing two 

 polyps; lOa. base of stalk and basal root-like processes, x 2. 



The axis is simple, tall, slender, tapered to the tip, terete, iridescent. Polyp 

 calicles are large, elongated, ofte^n wider than the axis, seated obliquely, well 

 apart, and secund. Colour when living is orange or salmon-color. Calicles are 

 filled with elongated spindles. Coenenchyma is very thin; its spicules are thin, 

 scale-like, oblong, with rounded ends and often constricted in the middle. Root 

 processes are much branched, round, hard, calcareous, and taper to small slender 

 tips. Height up to 3 feet or more (900 mm.). It was taken by the "Albatross" 

 in 1883, off Georges Bank, in 858 fathoms, and farther south in 1731 and 1735 

 fathoms in large numbers. A comparison with the types of Stearns shows the 

 generic identity of Lepidogorgia. 



Family KERATOISID^) Gray, 1870 (emended). 



Keratoisidce + Acanelladce + Mopseadce (pars) GRAY, Cat. Lithophytes Brit. 



Mus., pp. 13, 16, 18, 1870. 

 Ceratoisidce VERRILL, Bulletin Mus. Comp. Zool., Vol. XI, p. 11, 1883. 



Axis simple or variously branched, with long calcareous joints, which are 

 often hollow, alternating with shorter horny joints. Branches, when present, 

 sometimes arise from the calcareous joints, but more frequently from the horny 

 ones. Base calcareous, usually divided into long, flat, irregular lobes, serving 

 as anchors in the mud of the sea bottom. Coenenchyma thin, commonly with 

 long fusiform conspicuous spicules, sometimes with other small scale-like ones 

 at the surface. Calicles large and prominent, filled with large fusiform spicules, 

 of which eight or more are larger than the rest and commonly project as sharp 

 marginal spines between the bases of the tentacles, forming an armature for the 

 protection of the incurved and imperfectly retracted tentacles. 



