I 2 I 
given for these colonies, I will give their description in extenso, at least each station apart. If 
one would be inclined to make a number of species of them, the material is arranged and only 
the names are lacking. But neither the zoogeography, nor the anatomy, nor the macroscopical 
habitus give reason enough to separate Stichopathes variabilis into a number of new species. 
For every station I shall give the principal type, adding to this the most remarkable deviations. 
var. aspenspina var. n. 
Stat. 213. Saleyer. Reef. 56 spec. 
I begin with the colonies of this station, since through their great number we probably 
have the extreme values of the variability here, while they may not all of them be represented 
in smaller groups. The greater part of the 56 specimens from this station are complete colonies, 
but fragments of colonies are also present. Various specimens are covered with polyps. 
The stem is max. 46 cm. long, with a slender top. In 20 cases the stem is wound 
in a slender spiral, which is very steep and the coils of which are at the utmost 3—4, often 
only 1 or a fraction, in number. The spiral is always sinistrorsal ; the diameter of a coil is 
3 8 cm., the distance between two coils: 4 — 10 cm. In 18 specimens the colony is partly 
wound in a spiral, but in 24 specimens the colony is irregularly curved and sinuous, without 
ever showing a spiral or even a part of a spiral. 
The basal diameter cannot be given, since the colonies for the most part lack their 
natural base; since the diameter of the colony perceptibly increases, a too great value is 
found for the basal diameter, if one believes the broken base to be the natural base. In 39 
specimens the diameter increases very much, to a height of some cm. above the base. Since 
in broken specimens the rupture may have occurred above or in the thickest part, and in this 
manner these fragments show no increase of diameter, we can expect as a rule that the dia¬ 
meter increases to a height of some cm. above the base. The diameter of the basal end is as 
follows for the colonies which are longer than 40 cm. (the first number gives the leno-th of 
the colony, the second number the diameter at the broken base): 45 cm., 530 p ; 40 cm., 
8°° l x ; ' 4 6 cm -i 4 °° p--, 44 cm., 320 p; while their greatest diameter is respectively 640 p, 
S/° P-> 475 P-i 360 p. These data appertain to the relatively low numbers, for in a colony of 
T 5-5 cm - long the diameter of 490 p increases to 1300 p! — There are also colonies, which 
on some places show a swiftly diminishing diameter, with a jump of a few hundred p in a 
very short distance, often accompanied by the appearance of _ _ ^ ^ ^ _ 
an other type of spines. One colony shows regular spindleshaped —--- 
thickenings of the axis (fig. 113), the length of which of 1.3 mm. Fig. u 3 . stichopathes variabilis n. n . 
is possibly in connection with the polyps. Sometimes the axis Part ° f a col ° ny s P indlesha P ed 
changes in its direction at an obtuse angle. 
There are 7 & longitudinal rows of spines, but there are colonies which have only 
6 rows, or even 5. Some of the latter colonies have 5 longitudinal rows on one part of the 
colony and 6 or 7 rows on an other part, but there are also colonies with 5 rows everywhere. 
The same holds good for the higher number of rows, but there are no colonies with a greater 
S1BOGA-EXPEDITIE XVII. .(■ 
