NO. 1923. DESCRIPTIONS OF PACIFIC ALCYONARIA—lSlUTTING. 79 



Localities. — Station 4936; Sata Misaki Light, N. 21° E., 5.7 miles; 

 103 fathoms (type). Station 4893; Ose Saki Light, N. 29° E., 5.5 

 miles; 106-95 fathoms. 



Type-specimen,— Cat. No. 30045, U.S.N.M. 



This species bears a superficial resemblance to Versluysia ramosa 

 (Thomson and Henderson)^; but the spiculation of calyces and ten- 

 tacles shows it to be a Muricella. 



MURICELLA ABNORMALIS, new species. 

 Plate 11, figs. 3, 3a; plate 20, fig. 6. 



Colony (incomplete) consistuig of three simple, straight, cylindrical 

 branches, joined at their bases. The largest is 7.3 cm. in length and 

 has a diameter of 4.5 mm. The general aspect of the branch is not 

 at all like the typical Muricella^ but more like the genus Thesea. The 

 spiculation, however, shows that it can not belong to the latter genus. 

 The calyces are thickly distributed on all sides, being seldom more 

 than 1.5 mm. apart and usually much closer. 



The individual calyces are short cylinders or truncated cones, a 

 typical one measuring 2 mm. in height and 1.9 mm. in diameter. 

 Their walls are filled with loosely embedded long slender spindles, 

 much more delicate than is usual in this genus, vertically disposed in 

 proximal parts and with their distal ends approximated in an en 

 chevron arrangement in distal part. Some of these spindles reach 

 from base to beyond the margin of the calyx. Margin with 8 tri- 

 angular points, usually equidistant, formed by the distal ends of one 

 or more of these spindles. 



The polyps are retractile, and their spiculation differs from most 

 species of this genus. There is a distinct, strong collaret composed of 

 two or more circular rows of long, often curved, spindles. The oper- 

 culum is composed mainly, if not exclusively, of three spindles which 

 are so disposed as to form an acute-angled triangle pointing toward 

 the center of the operculum. This is quite different from other species 

 in the genus. 



Spicules: These are all slender, often bent or curved spindles; some- 

 times attaining a length of 2 mm., but much more slender than is 

 usual in this genus. Their surface is covered with sharply pointed 

 tubercles which are much more thickly distributed on the larger than 

 on the smaller spindles. These spindles, especially when curved, 

 closely resemble many found in the genus Acanthogorgia. 



Color: Very light yellowish or creamy- white. The axis is brown. 



iocaZi%.— Station 5070; Ose Saki, S. 8° W., 1.8 miles; 108 fathoms. 



Type-specimen.— Coii. No. 30093, U.S.N.M. 



It is with great hesitation that I place this species in the genus 

 Muricella on account of the peculiar formation of the pseudo-oper- 

 culum. Otherwise it goes into the genus easily enough. 



I Ceylon Pearl Oyster Reports, Supplementary Reports, No. XX, 1905, p. 301. 



