On the Occurrence of Phoronis australis 

 HASWELL near Misaki. 



BV 



Iwaji Ikeda, 



Sci. Coll., Imp. Univ., Tokyo. 



As is well known, Phoronis australis Haswell is a species hitherto 

 recorded only from Port Jackson in Australia. It has heen known to 

 inhabit deserted Cerianthus tubes at a depth of 27 m. in the locality 

 mentioned. 



Of late years a large and beautiful Phoronis, quite different from 

 P. ijimai Oka, was discovered as one of the commonest animals near 

 the Misaki Marine Laboratory. A remarkable fact it is that it so long 

 remained without attracting the attention of the workers in the Labora- 

 tory. Possibly it was seen by many but was taken for tentacles of 

 expanded Actinians, an illusion which, as will soon be seen, is not at all 

 unlikely to happen. 



After a careful study tbe Phoronis in question was found to agree 

 quite well with the descriptions of P. australis as given by writers, 

 especially Benham.* So that, I take no heed in considering it as 

 specifically identical with that species. The fact is of interest as showing 

 the wide geographical distribution of that species. 



The circumstances of tbe discovery of the Phoronis near Misalri were 

 as follows : 



On August 10th, 1901, Mr. Havata, then working in the Labora- 

 tory, obtained and brought in what he thought as a specimen of a gigantic 

 Actinian. On our examining it together, I was agreeably surprised to 

 find it to be simply a large gelatinous tube containing a large colony of 



* Quart. Jouin of Micros. ScL, 1890. 



