166 A CRUISE IN THE LACCADIVE SEA 



about the summer temperature of the sea-surface in 

 the neighbourhood of the Shetland and Faroe Islands. 



Not to speak of the countless animals that inhabit 

 the shores and shallows as well as the surface waters 

 of the Laccadive Sea, we already know of nearly 250 

 species that dwell in its cold and dark depths below 

 300 fathoms, species which, for reasons already noticed, 

 are of very diverse kinds, belonging to over 160 

 genera, about eighty different families, and nearly 

 thirty different natural orders. Corals flourish with 

 surprising vigour in its profound gulfs : at one spot, 

 at a depth of 1000 fathoms, over two hundred speci- 

 mens of Caryophyllia ambrosia were dredged, and at 

 another place, in 430 fathoms, the trawl brought up 

 nearly half a ton of Caryophyllia, Desmophylhim, 

 Lophohelia, and Solenosmilia : altogether, thirteen 

 different kinds of corals have been dredged in its 

 depths between 430 and 1070 fathoms. 



The starfishes are another class of animals that 

 appear to find in the abysses of the Laccadive Sea a 

 particularly pleasant residence : sixteen species of true 

 starfishes have already been discovered there, and 

 eighteen species of brittle-stars — most of them in 

 great abundance. Crustaceans also are abundant, 

 nearly eighty species having already been found, half 

 of them being forms that cannot swim, and so must 

 live actually on the bottom. Of mollusks we know of 

 nearly forty species : the commonest of them seem to 



