348 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION, 
Bunodosoma granulifera (Lesueur). Pis. II, IX, X, Figs. 9, 34, 35. 
Actinia granulifera, Lesueur, 1817, p. 173. 
Urticina lessoni, Duchassaing, 1850, p. 9. 
Oulactis granulifera, Milne- Edwards, 1857, p. 293; Duchassaing et Michelotti, 1860, p. 46. 
Cercus lessoni ( Urticina), Duchassaing et Michelotti, 1860, p. 42, pi. vi, figs. 13, 14. 
Anthopleura granulifera, Duchassaing et Michelotti, 1866, p. 126, pi. hi, fig. 8. 
Aulactinia granulifera, Andres, 1883, p. 438. 
Bunddes txniatus, McMurrich, 1889, p. 23, pi. i, fig. 4; pi. in, fig. 7. 
Bunodes granulifera, Duerden. 1898, p. 454. 
Bunodosoma granulifera, Verrill, 1899, p. 45. 
This common West Indian Actinian is represented by numerous specimens in the Porto Rican 
collection, sometimes with the light and dark longitudinal columnar bands still recognizable. In 
most cases the upper part of the polyps has become infolded, due to the action of the strong sphincter 
muscle; in one instance the reverse process of eversion has partly taken place, displaying the tuberculate 
or papillose acrorhagi to great advantage. 
External characters . — The base is flat, circular, adherent to rocks and stones, and is a little larger 
in diameter than the column. It is radiately grooved in correspondence with the internal mesenteries, 
and preserved specimens also show deep concentric grooves. 
The column is cylindrical, usually a little higher than broad, and very distensible. The entire 
surface of the column is crowded with subspheroidal vesicles, so that the actual body-wall can be seen 
only during full distension, in which condition the upper part of the column becomes very thin and 
transparent. The vesicular outgrowths vary much in size, arrangement, and form under the different 
conditions. of expansion and retraction of the polyp. They are approximately equal in size and thin- 
walled; on large polyps they are bifid or even trifid toward the apex, and the wall is there denser. 
Their regular disposition in vertical rows is usually only evident during full expansion; at other times 
they press closely one upon another, and so disturb the regularity. They constitute twenty-four 
alternate lighter and darker vertical bands or zones, the color distinction being usually apparent for 
the whole length of the column. In large examples these color bands are not always recognizable. 
The darker zones have usually five rows of verrucse, and the lighter zones three, making 96 rows in 
all, the former being nearly double the width of the latter. On partial expansion of the polyp each 
row’ may appear as if double, and in large polyps 192 rows are actually present. The number of 
verrucal rows is less in very young specimens. The outgrowths are incapable of attaching foreign 
particles to the column. 
The column is deeply eremite at the apex, the depressions, corresponding with the internal mesen- 
terial attachments. A large acrorhagus, alternating with the outermost row of tentacles, occurs at the 
top of each entocoelic mesenterial division, and corresponds with two vertical rows of verrucse; a smaller 
acrorhagus alternates with each of the larger, and is exocoelic in position, the series corresponding with 
the outermost cycle of tentacles. The acrorhagi are thus 96 in all, but in young polyps the smaller series 
may not be obvious. The outer or lower aspect of each acrorhagus bears numerous small papillae; the 
inner or upper surface is smooth; the apex of each is thick-walled, and in certain states of preservation 
stands out prominently as a rounded, opaque white spheroid. A deep fossa occurs between the inner 
base of the acrorhagi and the outermost cycle of tentacles. Lesueur (p. 176) mentions that the margin 
is “furnished with tubercles, which are surmounted with small white pedunculated warts.” 
The tentacles are entaemseous, shortly conical, and generally 96 in number, arranged according to 
the formula 6 6 12 24 48. 
The disk is large, smooth, flat, and often overhangs on full expansion. The two gonidial grooves 
are strongly marked by their thickened lips, and the stomodseum is smooth and readily everted. The 
tentacles and disk can be completely hidden by the overfolding of the column-wall. 
The base is yellowish gray in color, with thin, radiating red bands; the column-wall is more 
usually a brick red, becoming dark reddish brown above. The verrucse are mostly of the same color, 
but the tips are opaque white, especially in the distal region. The twenty-four alternate lighter and 
darker vertical rows are not well marked in some polyps, but are very persistent in others, even after 
preservation for a long time in alcohol. The acrorhagi are nearly colorless toward the tips, while 
the tubercles are opaque white; the fossa between the acrorhagi and the base of the outermost cycle 
