Actinaria 



G 135 



It occupies a very long, rough, thick, flexible tube, composed of mud and 

 various debris, cemented together by hardened mucous, but very smooth inside. 

 These tubes, one to two feet long, are often taken in deep water without the 

 occupant. In natural positions at the bottom they are probably much longer. 



The body is smooth; in contraction usually more or less wrinkled length- 

 wise. It may taper regularly or be somewhat swollen or vase-shape toward the 

 anterior end, and expanded close to the margin. 



The marginal tentacles are very numerous, long and slender, tapering to 

 slender tips; the inner rows, much longer than the outer ones; not very con- 

 tractile. The oral or labial tentacles are about one-third as long as the longer 

 marginal ones, or up to about 20 to 30 mm. long. The number of marginal 

 tentacles may be 150 to 200 or more, in large examples. There is a central 

 pore in the posterior end. According to Kingsley five pairs of mesenteries 

 reach the aboral end, to near the pore. He found it to be a hermaphrodite 

 species. 



The colour in life is somewhat variable. In the types the body was dark 

 chestnut-brown, often tinged with bluish or purplish near the margin; disk pale 

 yellowish brown; around the mouth, within the circle of labial tentacles, deep 

 brown with paler fine radii; labial tentacles pale chestnut-brown; outer tentacles 

 light chestnut-brown or deep salmon, the longer ones transversely barred with 

 five to eight deep reddish brown spots partially divided in the median line by 

 paler colour. Some specimens had the body orange brown; others dull bluish 

 or greenish gray, or mud-colour. Other variations were noted. This species 

 has been taken at many places in the Bay of Fundy; Bedford basin; Gulf of 

 Maine, 110, 156 fathoms; off Casco bay, 35 to 75 fathoms; off Georges bank, 

 etc., in 20 to 150 fathoms on soft muddy bottoms, and also off southern New 



20 



Fig. 19. Cerianthus borealis (?) Verrill. A young specimen which has lost its marginal tentacles; 



but retained the labial tentacles, thus resembling an Ilyanthus: x 2. 



Verrill. 

 Fig. 20. The same (?). 4 larger abnormal specimen that appears to have been injured 



repaired and has also lost the marginal tentacles; x 2. By. A. H. Ver 



