DESCEIPTIONS OF THE ALCYONAEIA COLLECTED 

 BY THE U. S. BUEEAU OF FISHEEIES STEAMEE 

 ALBATEOSS IN THE VICINITY OF THE HAWAIIAN 

 ISLANDS IN 1902. 



By Charles C. Nutting, 



Professor of Zoology, State University of lotva, loiva City. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The Hawaiian region appears to be a virgin field, so far as Alc5''o- 

 naria are concerned, as the writer has been unable to find a single 

 reference, in the rather extensive literature consulted, indicating that 

 any alcyonarians whatever have been reported from this region. 



This fact, together with the extraordinary isolation of these islands 

 from any large land mass, makes the material discussed in the follow- 

 ing report of unusual interest, both from the number of new forms in- 

 cluded and from the standpoint of zoogeography. ' 



Considering the length of time since the discovery of the Hawaiian 

 Islands, and the number of European and American residents and vis- 

 itors, it is somewhat surprising that nothing has heretofore been re- 

 ported regarding the very rich alcyonarian fauna. This is doubtless 

 due, in part, to the fact that this group of animals has but little recog- 

 nized economic importance, and more particularly to the almost total 

 lack of dredging operations in this region. A few hauls, it is true, 

 were taken by the Challenger in the vicinity of the Hawaiian group, 

 but there is no mention of any Alcyonaria being secured. 



Of the 68 species brought to light by the cruise of the U. S. Bureau 

 of Fisheries steamer Albatross in 1902, 39 are new and 29 have been 

 reported from other localities, giving a proportion of 57 per cent of 

 new species. Of the three orders of Alcyonaria discussed, the first, the 

 Alcyonacea is most meagerly represented by 5 species. The second 

 order, the Pennatulacea, is well represented by 16 species, while the 

 remaining 47 species belong, as would be expected, to the great and 

 widely distributed order Gorgonacea. 



The paucity of Alcyonacea was to be expected from the fact that 

 this order is largely arctic in its distribution, although certain special 

 groups are very abundant in the Australian region. It is interesting 



Proceedings U. S. National Museum, Vol, XXXI V— No. 1 624. 



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