THE GORGONIANS OF THE BRAZILIAN (OAST. 381 



Calicles may be more or less prominent or wholly immersed in the m nen- 

 chyma. They are usually placed on all sides of the branches. 1 ntacles arc 

 usually retractile; they may have opercular spicules in chevrons, or ma^ be 

 destitute of spicules. 



Xutrient or peraxial longitudinal canals are usually equal, forming a circle 

 around the axis. 



This family is found in the shallow \ aters of all tropical and subtropical 

 seas; rarely in deep water. 



The family is here extended to include certain genera commonh refcrr. i to 

 the Muriceidae and Gorgonidae; such as Bebryce, EuniccUa, Hetcrogorgia, Stmo- 

 gorgia, etc. 



Most of these have a well-defined layer of small dim rentiated spicules, 

 characteristic of this family, and have the calicinal walls and margins unarmed, 

 or but slightly armed with small, simple spicules. 



For these rather aberrant genera I propose to establish two subfamilisi: 

 Bebrycince, to include Bebryce and Eunicella, characterized by having a close 

 pavement-like externaMayer of small club-shaped spicules standing perpend icu- 

 larly to the surface. 



Stenogorgince, characterized by having a thin coenenchyma, oompos< I of 

 simple spindles, with or without an external layer of small granule-like spicult 

 and having the spindles of the calicle-walls usually arranged in chevrons distally 

 Tentacles usually with spicules in chevrons, retractile or not so, often forming a 

 large exsert anthocodium. 



This subfamily will include Stenogorgia, H eterogorgia , P sammogorgi a , Astro- 

 gorgia, Filigella, and several other genera. 



Heterogorgia V. has been entirely misunderstood by Nutting and som< other 

 writers. Its larger interior spicules are all simple warted spindles. Its surface 

 has a layer of small spicules of varied forms. The type is H. verrucosa V., of 

 Panama Bay. 



Astrogorgia V. has also been misunderstood. It has an outer layer of small, 

 short spicules with larger inner spindles, arranged in chevrons on the calicles 

 Its most important feature is the presence of very small siphonozoids on and 

 between the calicles, each surrounded by a circle or rosette of small petal-like 

 white plates. The type is A. sinensis V., 1867. 



Another subfamily, Plexaurellince , may be recognized to include Pkxaurelia, 

 Euplexaura, and allied genera, in which the axis is partially calcified, with 

 strands of calcium carbonate. The coenenchyma is thick, u subcrous," made up 

 of small spindles, crosses, and related forms, and everywhere permeated by 

 tubules running in all directions, some of them terminating in external pores, 

 rendering it very cellular. 



The subfamily Plexaurince will then contain the more typical genera, such as 

 Plexaura, Eunicea, Euniceopsis, Pseudoplexaura, etc. 



In this group the axis is generally horn-like, the coenenchyma is thick, usually 



