ARVID R. MOLANDER, ALCYONACEA. 
Systematic Section. 
Synopsis of the Alcyonacea, VERRILL, 1866. 
Diagnosis: Aleyonariae which are without ectodermal sceleton axis. Choenen- 
chymatic tissue perfectly homogenous (no trace of a central axis which is distinctly 
separated from the surrounding tissue). 
A) 
B) 
1906, Alcyonacea, KUKENTHAL. 
Polyps separated from each other, connected at the base by free stolons or by a thin, membranous disc, 
which contains a small number of canals and cell-strings. Spicules are generally rods and spindles 
and clubs, strongly thorned or lacking thorns. Fam. Cornmulariidae, DANSA, 1846. 
Polyps surrounded by coenenchym. The colony developes a trunk or thick membrane. Solenia with 
numerous canals and cell-striugs. Spicules either spindles, rods and clubs, beside rollers with girdles, 
stars and crosses, strongly thorned or lamellated, flat, irregular calcareous bodies, slightly thorned. 
a) Only the lower part of each polyp surrounded by coenenchym. The colony is soft and of a fleshy 
consistency. Spicules are flat, lamellated. Fam. Xemiidae, VERRILL, 1866. 
b) Only the upper part of each polyp free from surrounding coenenchym. The colonies of a firm con- 
sistency. Spicules shaped like spindles, rods, rollers, crosses, stars, etc. 
1) The colonies are not divided into a sterile trunk and polyp-carrying branches. The polyps are 
uniformly distributed over the greater part of the colony. Colonies sometimes of membranous 
structure with closely and evenly packed polyps. Numerous spicules evenly distributed throughout 
the coenenchym. Fam. Alcyoniidae, VERRILL, 1865. 
2) The colonies consist of an almost sterile trunk, which supports the polyp-bearing branches. OColo- 
nies often membranous with few polyps either scattered or arranged in bunches. Spicules in the 
coenenchym between the coelenterons either scarce or packed in strongly developed formations. 
Fam. Nephthyidae, VERRILL, 1869. 
Fam. Cornulariidae, DANaA, 1846. 
Diagnosis: Aleyonaceae, whose free polyps are connected at the base by free stolons 
or a membranous disc, which contain a small number of canals. Spicules are generally 
rods and spindles, and clubs strongly thorned or lacking thorns. 
A) 
B) 
1906, Cormulariidae (pars), KUKENTHAL. 
Synopsis. 
Spicules of the polyp are of the same type and size. Anthelia, LAMARCK, 1816. 
Pronounced differences in length and shape between the spicules from the upper and lower part of the 
polyp. Clavularia, Quo and GAmMARrRD, 1830. 
The limitation of fam. Cornulariidae has been more definitely fixed by KUKENTHAL 
(1906). As concerns this family, I agree in the main with KUKENTHAL's view. It must 
be queried, however, whether some of the species classed among Clavularia and An- 
! None of the species mentioned here are to be found in the Swedish State Museum. 
