J. E. Duerden — Jamaican Actiniaria : Part I. — Zoanthece, 339 



Zoanthus flos-marinus, Duchassaing and Michelotti. 



(PL xvii. a, fig. 2.) 



Zoanthus flos-marinus, . . . Duchassaing and Michelotti, 1860, p. 326, 



pi. viii., fig. 6. 

 Zoanthus flos-marinus, . . . Andres, 1883, p. 328. 

 Zoanthus flos-marinus, . . . M c Murrich, 1889, p. 113, pi. vii., figs. 3, 4. 



Form. — Polyps erect, smooth, thin-walled, pellucid, clavate or cylindrical ; 

 arising either directly from a thin band-like incrusting ccenenchyme, or from a 

 free irregular stolon, or from the base of one another. In full retraction, a 

 little swollen above ; in partial contraction, inner capitulum very narrow, with 

 24 to 30 minute rounded denticulations or capitular ridges, continued as thin 

 lines for some distance down the column, and corresponding in number and 

 alternating with the outer row of tentacles. 



Tentacles dicyclic, slightly entacmasous, smooth, acuminate, overhanging in 

 full extension, variable in number, from 48 to 60. In one colony, the numbers 

 counted were 60, 52, 58, 54, 50, 54, 58 ; in another colony, 56, 50, 50, 48. In 

 this latter colony, a curious condition of the tentacles was met with, each bearing 

 near its origin one or two small tubercles,* suggestive of an additional cycle. 



Disc thin-walled, with the radiating mesenterial lines showing through ; 

 outer part grooved, overhanging in full extension ; central portion elevated and 

 rounded ; mouth slit-like. Ccenenchyme occasionally band-like and incrusting, 

 more often stolon-like, constituting an irregular connexion for the polyps. 

 Polyps, all about the same size, are often closely associated in a colony, and 

 incrust some rock or stone ; at other times, they are loosely attached to any 

 object, and form bunches connected with one another in an irregular fashion by 

 the loose stolon-like ccenenchyme. Sometimes the polyps are united to one 

 another some distance above the base. Examples on the upper surface of stones 

 are usually short and cylindrical ; but those along the sides and underneath, or 

 in crevices, become much elongated and narrow below. 



Colour.— Lower part of column sand - coloured ; upper dark green or lead 

 colour ; tentacles yellowish- green, blue- green, or brown ; disc various light and 

 dark shades of blue and green, often mixed with yellow and black ; peristome a 

 bright yellow or green ; a darker triangular area at each or only one angle of 

 the mouth may be present. 



Dimensions. — Dimensions variable ; column usually about T7 cm. in length ; 



* Verrill records a similar condition for Mammillifera Lanes (1869, p. 496), and for Epizoanthus elongatm 

 (p. 498). It is not general in the present species. 



3 F2 



