KUNGL. SV. VET. AKADEMIENS HANDLINGAR. BAND 51. N:o ll. äl 
General Distribution. 
Lat. 66” 16' N., Long. 25” 20 W., 537 met., 1 sp. (JUNGERSEN, 1891). 
Fam. Alcyoniidae VERRILL, 1865. 
Diagnosis: Alcyonaceae, whose colonies are not divided into a sterile trunk and 
polyp-bearing branches. The polyps are uniformly distributed over the greater part 
of the colony. Colonies are sometimes of membranous structure with closely and 
evenly packed polyps. Numerous spicules throughout the coenenchym. Spicules of 
anthocodiae and colony spindles, rods and rollers with girdles, (dumb-bells), and crosses, 
strongly thorned, or they are irregular, calcareous bodies, lamellated and slightly thorn- 
ed. Nolenia well developed, with endodermal canals or cell-strings; these latter generally 
occur. 
1906, Alcyonidae, KÖKENTHAL. 
Synopsis. 
A) Colonies of mushroom shape, with dimorphismus. Siphonozooids with gonads. 
Anthomastus, VERRILL, 1878. 
B) Colonies membranous, stoloniferous or of clumsy lobular shape. Dimorphismus does not exist. Al polyps 
with gonads. 
I.  Armature consists of well developed spindles, rods and, rollers, with girdles, strongly thorned, not lamel- 
lated. Alcyoniuwm LiNsÉ, 1758. 
II. Armature consists of rods, crosses, or irregular calcareous bodies, often flat or lamellated, slightly 
thorned or granulated. Sympodium, EHRENBERG, 1834. 
KÖUKENTHAL (1906) divided the fam. Alcyoniidae in two sub-families Nidaliinae 
and Ålcyoniinae. 
As distinguishing characteristics for these sub-families he also adduces: 
Nidalirnae. Alcyoniinae. 
Colony with distinet border between the lo- With no distinct line of separation between 
wer sterile part and the upper fertile part. the upper and the lower part. 
Canal system direct (almost) and indirect, Indirect. 
Calyx well developed. Not to be found. 
Spicules preferably spindles and rods. Spindles, rods, rollers with girdles, dumb- 
bells, etc. 
Against this I wish to advance: 
1) That, in the preceding chapters, it has been indicated out that the canal system 
is not to be relied upon as a distinctive characteristic (p. 11), and that direct canal sys- 
tem is also found in Alcyoniinae. 
2) That the calyx in many cases is to be found in Ålcyoniinae, especially in small 
and young specimens — for instance, in Ålcyonium digitatum, Alcyonium digitatum var. 
