lis G Canadian Arctic Expedition, 1913-1918 



Family PARACTIDyE Hertwig (emended). 



Actinians destitute of acontia and cinclidse. Tentacles numerous. Sphinc- 

 ter muscle is mesoglceal, either thick or diffuse. Usually more than one cycle 

 of perfect mesenteries, up to three or four or more cycles; all or nearly all may 

 be fertile. Imperfect mesenteries usually numerous, up to the sixth cycle in 

 some adults, and mostly fertile. 



Xo acrorhagi nor pseuclobranchiae. Column usually smooth or wrinkled, 

 but without real verruca? or notable suckers, though small suckers may occur. 

 Aboral disk adherent; it may be large or much reduced. In some deep sea 

 genera the tentacles are not retractile. 



Stomphia Gosse. 



Stomphia Gosse, Annals Nat. Hist. Ser. 3, Vol. Ill, p. 48, 1859; Actin. Brit., 

 p. 221, 1860. Carlgren, op. cit., 1892. Verrill, Amer.'Journ. Science, 

 Ser. 4, Vol. VII, 1899. McMcrrich, op. cit., 1910, p. 77. 



Column soft, .smooth, without verrucse or suckers, very changeable in form, 

 thin in sections. Basal disk, thin, broad in expansion, but can contract to small 

 size. Disk may be flat, concave, or convex, very mutable. Tentacles numerous, 

 moderately stout, retractile. Two siphonoglyphs; labial lobes numerous, small. 

 Mesenteries thin, numerous, 12 to 24 pairs or more perfect and mostly fertile; 

 longitudinal muscles feel)le. 



Gosse (op. cit., 1860, p. 22.5) states that the sexes, in the types, are separate 

 and that the gonatls of the male are salmon-color, while those of the female 

 are l)rilliant scarlet, in "grape-like clusters." He also records the discharge 

 of ''globular ova of the size of mustard seed and of a rich scarlet hue" (p. 223). 

 This is of interest, because Urticina crassicornis is viviparous, discharging 

 well developed young ones, often with two or more cycles of tentacles. 



According to ]Mc]\lurrich (1910) Carlgren has united to this smooth species, 

 the strongly verrucose Tealiopsis polaris Dan. and also Sagartia repens Dan., 

 and others. Daniclssen described iS\ repens as having acontia. 



Neither species, as figured from life, looks hke Stomphia carneola. 



Stomphia carneola (Stimpson) Verrill. 



Actinia carneola Stimpsox, Invert. Grand Manan, p. 7, 1852. 



Actinia nitida (provisional name) J. W. Dawson, Canadian Naturahst, 1858. 



Rhodactinia davisvi (pars) Verrill, op. cit., 1864, pp. 19, 20. 



Stomphia churchice Gosse, op. cit., 1859; Actin. Brit., p. 22, pi. VIII, fig. 5, 



1860. Andres, op. cit., 1884, p. 369. Carlgren, Kongl. Svenska Vet. 



Akad. Handl., vol. XXV, 2, p. 80, PL 1, VIII, IX, X, 1892 (anatomy). 

 Stomphia carneola Verrill, op. cit., 1899, pp. 206-208, figs. 24-24d (description, 



structure, synonymy, etc.) 



Stomphia coccinea (pars) Carlgren, op. cit., 1902. Probably not A. coccinea 

 MtJLLKR, 1776. McMuRRicH, op. cit., 1910, p. 77. 



Plate XXX; Fig. 1. 



The general characters of this species are stated above in the o-eneric des- 

 ■ri])tion. As indicated it is very protean in form in confinement. Although 

 iKiniially cylindrical, rather higher than broad, it may become more elongated 



