Giffordia mitchelliae (Harvey) Hamel. Obtained from the surface of 



the TEKTITE habitat, experimental cages, dead coral heads, rocks, 

 and epiphytic on Syringodiiim filiforme and Hypoglossum tennuifolium 

 in 5 to 23 m depth. Randall (1967) reported Chaetodipterus faber 

 as a consimier, and this species was among filamentous plants and 

 diatoms browsed from a sea fan by Scarus croicensis . Probably 

 common in the diet of species that feed on filamentous algae. 



Giffordia rallsia e (Vickers) Taylor. Obtained from the surface of 

 the TEKTITE habitat, dead coral, rock and shells, and epiphytic 

 on Syringoditrm filiforme and Laurencia intricata in 5 to 20 m 

 depth. Reported by Taylor (1960) from shallow water. 



Hecatonema sp . Found once on Udotea conglutinata from the algal plain 

 in 18 m depth. 



*Herponema tortugense (Taylor) . A common epiphyte found in 10 to 23 

 m depth on Dictyopteris justii , Halimeda incrassata , Laurencia 

 obtusa , Dictyota bartayresii , Udotea conglutinata and U. 

 flabellTjm , and on the surface of the TEKTITE habitat. Previously 

 known only from Taylor's original collection at Dry Tortugas , 

 Florida, where it was epiphytic on Zonaria in shallow water and 

 from Puerto Rico (Diaz-Piferrer, 1963) on Udotea , Gelidiella , 

 and Thalassia . This is a new record for the Virgin Islands . 



Lobophora variegata (Lamouroux) Womersley. The decumbent form of 

 this species was found on rock and dead coral on reefs , and 

 the upright form was one of the most common and conspicuous 

 plants of the algal plain, found in 3 to 31 m depth. Reported 

 by Taylor (1960) from 55 m depth. On the algal plain, Acanthurus 

 chirurgus , A. coeruleus , and Balistes vetula were seen eating 

 this species , and during feeding trials , it was eaten by 

 Acanthurus bahianus , A. chirurgus , A. coeruleus , Sparisoma 

 aurofrenatum , and S^. viride . Randall (1967) lists this species 

 in the stomach contents of Acanthurus bahianus , Kyhosus 

 incisor , Kyphosus sectatrix , Melichthys niger , and Pomocanthus 

 arcuatus. 



Myrionema strangulans Greville . Found once on Acanthophora spicifera 

 on the algal plain in 21 m depth. 



Padina sanctae-crucis Borgesen. Found in protected places on the 

 reef and obtained from four sites on the algal plain in 10 to 

 21 m depth. Originally described from plants growing in shallow 

 water at St. Croix, Virgin Islands (Borgesen, 1914). Randall 

 (1967) found this species in the stomach contents of Kyphosus 

 sectatrix and Melichthys niger . 



*Padina haitensis (Thivy in Taylor). Common on rocks at Virgin Gorda, 

 but not found in Lameshur Bay. Newly reported here for the 

 Virgin Islands. 



VI-187 



