Clare Island Survey — Pycnogonida. 34 3 



This is one of the commonest and most widespread of Irish Pycnogonida, 

 occurring probably all round our coasts. Abroad it has been recorded from 

 southern Norway, the Mediterranean, and the North Pacific (coast of Alaska), 

 though some of these records as collated by Norman (3) may refer to the 

 next species {A. pygmaea). , 



Norman points out that the generic name Anaphia (Say, 1821) must 

 replace Anoplodactylus (Wilson, 1878). 



Anaphia pygmaea (Hodge). 



Blacksod (Feorinyeeo Bay, north shore, 16th September, 1910, one female ; 

 Elly Bay, south shore, 25th September, 1911, one male). Clare Island (shore, 

 23rd May, 1909, one ovigerous male; 3-3 miles E.S.E. of Lighthouse, 26th 

 May, 1909, 20 fms., one ovigerous male). Inishturk (2-3 miles S.E. of Tower, 

 13 fms., 25th May, 1909, one female). Ballynakill (Fahy Bay and Coast- 

 guard Deep, 1-8 fms., see 2; north entrance, 6-8 fms., 14th March, 1904, one 

 ovigerous male). 



Norman (3) unites this species with the preceding {A. petiolata, Kr.), and 

 the fact that the two forms have a similarly wide distribution, and often 

 inhabit the same locality, might be held to support the opinion that they are 

 identical. For Some time past, however, the constant, if slight, distinctions 

 observable between the adults have convinced me that the two are worthy of 

 " specific " distinction, and that Hodge was justified in separating pygmaea 

 from the foregoing species (which he called attenuata). I am gratified to 

 learn that Dogiel, working at the development of Pycnogonida at the Mill- 

 port Biological Station, Isle of Cumbrae, confirms the distinction : " The 

 specific independence of A. petiolata from A. pygmaea was definitely proved. 

 The difference between these two species, very slight in adults, is very pro- 

 minent in the larval stages, the six-legged larvae of A. pygmaea being blind, 

 whilst the larvae of A. petiolata possess a pair of eyes. Another difference is 

 the genus of host inhabited by the parasitic stages of these species. The 

 larvae of A. pygmaea infest the polyps of Campanularia ; the larvae of A. 

 petiolata form cysts in Coryne " (4, p. 31). 



AMMOTHEIDAE. 

 Ammothea echinata, Hodge. 



Blacksod (Feorinyeeo Bay, north shore, 15th March, 1911, two females). 

 Ballynakill (Coastguard Bay and Deep, north entrance, 6-8 fms.., see 2). 



The Pycnogon has a very similar distribution to that of the two species of 

 Anaphia, occurring on both our east and west coasts, and extending from 



