o
? Rhipidogorgia cancellata, M.-Edw. Sg Ilaime, Hist. Cor. i. p. 179.
P Paramuricea cancellata, Studer, MB. Ak. Berlin, 1878, p. 653.
Echinogorgia, sp., Verrill, American Journ. Sci. (2) xlvi. p. 143.
The affinities of this long-known species have been so frequently
misunderstood th a t I fully describe its spicules to justify the course I
have taken in placing it in the genus Echinogorgia. The spicules of
the general cortex, which is thick, are :—(i.) Eusiform, pointed at each
end and generally curved, with scattered prominent, usually simple,
tubercles, often of large size ; length about '21 to -42 millim. by •053
to •087 millim. broad (including tubercles), (ii.) Larger fusiform,
thickly covered with blunt, simple or compound tubercles on one
side ; on tho other bearing a few large, prominent, moderately sharp
dog-tooth-like tubercles, -035 to -07 millim. long. The spicule itself
has blunt ends and is usually hut slightly curved ; it measures about
•56 by ^177 to -25 millim. (iii.) Irregular tri- to sexradiate, with
low, blunt, generally rough tubercles ; maximum diameter of spicule
•177 to '25 millim., of single arms ’035 to •053. (iv.) A form of
“ Blattkenlc ” with very variously developed shaft, generally consisting
of several arms, covered with low, blunt, rough tubercles. The
foliar portion consists of two to four angular dog-tooth-like projections,
arranged iu one plane, more or less flattened in this plane (as
are the arms of the shaft), and their bases covered with similar bnt
less prominent tubercles ; length of teeth -053 to -14 millim., hasal
diameter about ^07 millim. ; size of spicule variable, from ’25 to
•35 millim. in length and breadth. The spicules of the verrncæ are
simple, fusiform, slightly tubcrculate.
The tooth-like spines of spicules (ii.) and (iv.) are directed outwards
in the natural position of the parts and produce the minute
, roughening of the surface of the coenenchyma, which may he felt,
and is to be seen under a lens ; the small fusiform (i.) and the form
(iii.) lie beneath, next to the horny axis.
A large series of dry specimens occurs in this collection ; they are
nsnally more extended laterally than the specimen figured by Esper.
Most of them have a smaller general habit, the branches having
a mean diameter of •! to 1^5 millim. in aU. specimens but one
(from Port Curtis), which has the 2 millim. characteristic of Esper’s
specimens and of examples from Torres Straits &c. already in the
Museum. The fundamental colour appears to he always a light
yellowish brown ; but many of the specimens have acquired a dusky
coloration, apparently subsequent to death. In some young specimens
from the Straits of Malacca (Bowerhank coll.) and Queensland
anastomosis is wholly wanting.
Hah. Port Molle, Queensland, 12-20 fms. ; Port Curtis, ditto,
5-11 fms.
Obs. Echinogorgia of Kolliker is nearly allied to Plexaura*, and
is perhaps connected with it by E. cerea and furfuracea and the
* I regret having placed Khmzinger’s species P. /or/a (from the Eed Sea) in
the widelj" distinct genus Villogorgia, in a communication to the ‘ Annals and
Magazine of Natural History’ (ser. 5, vol. ix. p. 191)-, its thick cortex separates
it from that genus, at any rate, though whether it can be maintained in
present species. In habit these three species aro closely similar.
A specimen in the Museum, which is apparently the type of Bovella
ramulosa. Gray (Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. (4) v. p. 407), is closely
allied to E. flahellum, and should stand as Echinogorgia ramulosa.
E tTNICEA CEÆ.
13. Plexaura prælonga, sp. n., var. typica. (P late XXXVI. fig. E,
and P late X X X V III. figs. g, g ’.)
Growth upright, approximately in one plane. Common stem extremely
short. Branching dichotomous; branches few, almost
straight ; terminal branches 150 millim. (6 inches) and upwards in
length in adult specimens. Stem and branches cylindrical, either
nearly of the same diameter throughout in both cases, viz. about
2-5 millim., or ranging from 6 millim. at base to 3 millim. at end of
branches in adult specimens. Cortex approximately smooth, even,
rather friable. Colour in dry state pale red-brown or dark tawny
brown. Verrucæ small, not projecting from surface, equally distributed
over all parts, 5 to 1 millim. apart. Axis tough, flexible,
black. Cortical spicules :—(i.) Long fusiform, approximately straight]
tapering to sharp points, with few, scattered, tapering, sharp, simple
tubercles; size about -35 by -07 millim. (ii.) Stout fusiform-cylindrical,
covered with low, blunt, compound tubercles ; size about -3 by
1 millim. (iii.) Irregular tri- to sexradiate, arms cylindrical, tapering
to sharp points, with numerous hut distinct, prominent, simple
or compound, pointed tubercles ; maximum diameter of spicule -25
to -52 millim., thickness of arms -042 to -I millim. (iv.) Blattkeule ;
shaft with one or two distinct arms uniting in a moderately stout
neck, often themselves bearing secondary arms ; the whole shaft is
covered densely with very prominent, tapering, compound tubercles.
Foliar portion flattened in one plane, variable, either approximately ob-
longwith rounded angles, or much drawn out laterally,forming angles
at this point, and with a point below, or with the lower edge broken
np into small lobes ; edges sharp, minutely scalloped. Erom the
shaft descend on to the foliar portion, sometimes more than halfway
down its face, one or more narrow, more or less prominent ridges,
tapering so as gradually to disappear ; or the place of each ridge is
taken by one or more rounded prominences ; both ridges and prominences
are smooth ; length of spicule about -5 millim., breadth of
Blatt -3 millim.
Hah. Port Curtis, 5 - I I fms., bottom sand and shells ; Port Denison,
4 fms., bottom rock.
Obs. Two dry specimens, the one from which the larger external
measurements were taken being largely decorticated, occur, also
Plexaura may be open to doubt; in its spiculation it agrees with Plexaurella as
limited by Verrill (Proc. Ess. Inst. vi. p. 42); but Hr. Klunzinger does not
state explicitly whether the axis is .simply horny or whether it contains the
carbonate of lime, by the presence of which Kolliker distingiushes the genus
from Plexaura.
ii I I
M
IÎ
¡¡''I.
Î i {.
f! n i
I':Jr
1
li
I f