NO. 1923. DESCRIPTIONS OF PACIFIC ALCYONARIA— NUTTING. 25 



1.8 cm. long. The polyp bodies are strongly ridged longitudinally, 

 the ridges extending along the basal part of the tentacles. The 

 zooids have their summits surrounded by circles of small spicules. 

 The color is bright scarlet, the stem being dull grayish. Although 

 this specimen differs considerably from the others, it is doubtless 

 specifically identical mth them. 



FamUy SIPHONOGORGID^ Kolliker (emended by Kiikenthal.) 



Siphonogorgidae Kukenthal, Japanische Alcyonaceen, 1906, p. 69. 



Alcyonacea with the general appearance of Gorgonacea. Ccenen- 

 chyma hard. Polyps borne only on the ends of ultimate branchlets 

 and retractile within calyces, with their body cavities lengthened into 

 canals which traverse the interior of the branches and contain but four 

 mesenteries.^ 



Genus SIPHONOGOROIA Kolliker. 



Being the only genus of the famUy Siphonogorgid^, its definition 

 is the same as that given above. It has been abbreviated byKiiken- 

 thal.2 The following is the substance of his definition: 



Sarcosoma with little connective tissue except in the canals, which 

 are continuous with the body cavities of the polyps. Calyces with 

 slightly developed opercula. 



SIPHONOGOROIA SPLENDENS Kukenthal. 

 Siphonogorgia splendens Kukenthal, -Japanisclie Alcyonaceen, 1906, p. 80. 



A specimen from station 4935 agrees very well with the original 

 description of this species. The colony is 5.5 cm. long; stem quite 

 thick and longitudinally wrinkled, and breaks up 2.3 cm. from its base 

 into three unequal branches. All of the larger branches bear small 

 ultimate branchlets scattered throughout their length; but the distal 

 branchlets are crowded at their ends with bright red polyps. 



The calyces vary greatly in size, 3 mm. being a common height. 

 Their walls are supported by strong, usually vertical spicules which are 

 heavily tuberculated and end in a series of blunt, irregular marginal 

 points. They do not project much beyond the calyx margin, however. 



The polyps are retractile to their strongly marked collar, which is 

 composed of three or more rows of transverse spindles. The tenta- 

 cles are armed with a pseudo-operculum much like that in the Muri- 

 ceidse, and as figured by Kukenthal. 



The spicules are very strongly tuberculate spindles, sometimes 

 reaching 5 mm. in length. 



1 This definition and one for the genus Siphonogorgia are condensed and abbreviated translations from, 

 the original by Kukenthal. ^ 



2 Japanische Alcyonaceen, p. 69. 



