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PACIFIC SCIENCE, Vol. XVII, October 1963 
numbered as many as 12. The peristomal lobes 
(a) were long (approximately 11 6(x) and in 
feeding specimens, were carried high above the 
distal opening of the neck ( b ). No swimmers 
were observed. 
Mirofolliculina limnoriae (Giard 1883) Dons 
1927 {vid. Fig. 2 A and B) 
Freya limnoriae Giard, Bull. Scientific, t.XV: 
264-265, 1883. 
Folliculina limnoriae (Giard) Fragments bi- 
ologiques XIII. Sur les genres Folliculina 
et Pebrilla. Bull. Sci. Nord. 3:310-317, 
1888. 
Since Giard s publication of Folliculina lim- 
noriae, this bizarre folliculinid has been charac- 
terized both by its habitat (dorsal surface of 
Limnoria pleotelson or adjacent segments) and 
by the lateral outpocketings of its lorica (Figs. 
2 A,B; 3 A,B; 5 A, B; 6). 
Although both Mohr (1959: 86), working 
on Limnoria lignorum of the Pacific coast of 
North America (Friday Harbor), and Giard 
(1888:314), working on Limnoria (sp.) of the 
a b 
FIGS. 2 A, B. Tracings of Giard’s plates of Fol- 
liculina limnoria taken at Wimereux showing: a, 
spherical nucleus; b, extent and region of pouches. 
Magnification not given. 
I 1 , : 1 
215 )i 1 80 p 
FIGS. 3 A, B. Mirofolliculina limnoriae, showing: 
a, empty loricae with lateral pouches. 
Atlantic coast of France (Wimereux), consider 
M. limnoriae an abundant species, rarely was it 
observed on L. ( Paralimnoria ) andrewsi (Cole- 
man) of Hawaii (Menzies, 1959:10). In fact, 
not until November 29, 1961, after hundreds of 
gribbles had been examined, were even the 
empty loricae (Fig. 3 A, B) observed. This 
paucity may in part be due to the fact that M. 
limnoriae temporarily had lost its habitat to 
another, as yet undetermined, organism; for, 
almost covering the dorsal surface of the pleotel- 
son of every third or fourth gribble examined, 
was a large brown hemispherical cyst (Fig. 4a) 
which, when opened, liberated two minute un- 
pigmented dorsoventrally flattened worms. This 
impression is further supported by the fact that 
during January, 1962, while the numbers of 
these cysts decreased, the numbers of M. lim- 
noriae increased. However, even in old estab- 
lished gribble colonies (such as those from the 
riddled hull of the "Seth Parker" at Coconut 
Island) only one M. limnoriae was taken for 
every 21 L. (P.) andrewsi examined. 
Of 25 M. limnoriae taken at random, the 
length of the sac varied from 133ft to 21 6g, 
with the mean at approximately 149 ft. The sac 
at its greatest width, varied from 83 ft to 132g, 
with the mean at approximately 11 6/x. The neck, 
which was completely devoid of spiral thicken- 
ings or proximal lip, varied in length from 49ft 
to 66ft, with the mean at approximately 59g. 
