1911] Kofoid: The Genus Gotnjaulax. 213 



Synonomy: The species originally described by Claparede 

 and Lachmann (1858-1859) as Peridimum spinifenim was 

 clearly a small one (4(V) with widely displaced overhanging 

 girdle, as is evident in both the figures and description. This 

 Diesing (1866) made the type (only species) of his genus Gony- 

 aula.r. It is equally evident that Stein's (1883) figure is of a 

 form with less displacement and overhang and probably (exact 

 magnifications are not given) of larger size. An examination 

 of extensive material from tropical and northern waters from 

 the Atlantic, Pacific and ]\Iediterranean has convinced me that 

 there are two distinct and separable forms confused more or less 

 under the name G. spiiiifem. Others have evidently labored 

 under the same opinion and have sought to escape from it by 

 renaming either the smaller or larger form according as the 

 name spinifcra was applied to Stein's or the original describer's 

 figures. Pouchet (1883), who had Claparede and Lachmann 's 

 paper (1858-1859) at hand distinguished the larger form which 

 Stein (1883) a few months later published as G. spi)iifera, as 

 ' Protoperidimum digitale. Later workers finding the smaller 

 form with oblique and overhanging girdle have recognized its 

 distinctness from the G. sphdfera of Stein (1883). Levander 

 (1894b) called it Peridinium sp. Lemmermann named it P. 

 levanderi;Y-An Breeman (1905) recognized its distinctness from 

 G. spinifera of Stein and left it unnamed and Paulsen (1907, 

 1908) and Ostenfeld (1908) have called it 6?. levaneleri, while 

 retaining Stein's name for the larger form, and Faure-Fremiet 

 names it G. mangini. The distinctions between the two forms 

 have evidently been widely recognized though Paulsen cautiously 

 says of G. Icvandevi "Vielleicht cine Hungerform von G. 



spinifera/'' 



There can be no doubt of the fact that if the two forms are dis- 

 tinct the older name spinifera should remain with the small form 

 originally described by Claparede and Lachmann and that the 

 larger form figured by Stein should bear another name. Pouchet 's 

 (1883) name digitale is the proper one for the larger species. It 

 is quite probable that Murray and Whitting's Peridinium 

 vexans is Gonyaulax spinifera, for it agrees with it in size and 



