Narrative of the Voyage of H.M.S. Rattlesnake Volume I Part 39

SERTULARIAN ZOOPHYTES.

The number of species of Sertularian Zoophytes comprised in this collection amounts to thirty-one, belonging to five genera, all of which appear to be common to both the Northern and Southern hemispheres; and four are European types. The fifth, Pasythea, is stated by Lamouroux, to be found on Fucus natans and in the West Indies; so that the present collection does not present any peculiar Australian generic form. It is far otherwise, however, with respect to the species. Of these three only are found in the European seas namely:

Sertularia operculata.

Campanularia dumosa.

Campanularia volubilis ?

Of which the first is a perfect cosmopolite, and the last is perhaps doubtful.

There are also, what is much more strange, not more than three species which I have been enabled to trace to any other locality, even in the Southern hemisphere. These are:

Sertularia elongata.

Sertularia divaricata, n. sp.

Plumularia macgillivrai, n. sp.

The first occurring in New Zealand; the second on the south coast of Patagonia and in the Straits of Magellan; and the third (which, however, is not, strictly speaking, an Australian form, having been procured in the Louisiade Archipelago) in the Philippine Islands. With these six exceptions, the whole number of species would therefore, to a certain extent, appear to be characteristic of the Australian seas.

Of the thirty-one species, it appears strange that not less than twenty-five should here be described as new; and there can be no doubt many so described are included under the vague and uncertain descriptions of Lamarck and Lamouroux; but, in the absence of authentic specimens, or trustworthy figures, I have found it impossible to identify satisfactorily the species described by them, and have therefore thought it better to a.s.sign new names rather than to apply former ones, which would in all probability prove incorrect. It is hoped, at all events, that the descriptions here given will be found sufficient to prevent any misconception of what is intended in the following catalogue.

The mode in which the species are arranged will be seen from the following synoptical arrangement:

SYNOPTICAL ARRANGEMENT OF THE GENERA AND SPECIES OF SERTULARIAN ZOOPHYTES COLLECTED ON THE VOYAGE OF THE RATTLESNAKE.

Order. ANTHOZOA HYDROIDA.

Sub-order. SERTULARINA.

Fam. 1. SERTULARIADAE.

Gen. 1. Sertularia.

-- 1. Cells alternate (Sertularia).

(a) Cells distichous.

1. S. elongata.

2. S. divaricata, n. sp.

3. S. crisoides.

(b) Cells secund.

4. S. pristis.

-- 2. Cells opposite (Dynamena).

(a) Cells distichous.

5. S. subcarinata, n. sp.

6. S. patula, n. sp.

7. S. orthogonia, n. sp.

8. S. mutulata, n. sp.

9. S. operculata.

10. S. divergens, n. sp.

11. S. trigonostoma, n. sp.

12. S. digitalis, n. sp.

13. S. loculosa, n. sp.

14. S. unguiculata, n. sp.

15. S. tridentata, n. sp.

2. Pasythea.

16. P. hexodon, n. sp.

3. Plumularia.

-- 1. Angiocarpeae.

17. P. huxleyi, n. sp.

18. P. hians, n. sp.

19. P. delicatula, n. sp.

20. P. aurita, n. sp.

21. P. brevirostris, n. sp.

22. P. ramosa, n. sp.

23. P. divaricata, n. sp.

24. P. phoenicea, n. sp.

25. P. longicornis, n. sp.

26. P. macgillivrayi, n. sp.

-- 2. Gymnocarpeae.

27. P. effusa, n. sp.

28. P. campanula, n. sp.

Fam. 2. CAMPANULARIADAE.

4. Campanularia.

29. C. volubilis (?) 30. C. dumosa.

5. Laomedea.

31. L. torressii, n. sp.

Order. ANTHOZOA HYDROIDA.

Suborder. SERTULARINA.

Fam. 1. SERTULARIADAE.

Gen. 1. Sertularia, Linnaeus.

1. Cells alternate (Sertularia).

a. Cells distichous.

1. S. elongata, Lamouroux.

Habitat: Swan Island, Banks Strait, thrown on the beach. Port Dalrymple, on stones at low water. (Also New Zealand.)

2. S. divaricata, n. sp.

Cells urceolate-subtubular, or very little contracted towards the mouth, often adnate to the rachis nearly their whole length; mouth looking upwards, with three large acute teeth, two lateral, and one rather longer than the others, and slightly recurved, above. Ovicells ---- ?

Habitat: Ba.s.s Strait, 45 fathoms, dead sh.e.l.ls.

Colour dirty yellowish white; polypidom branched, from a common stem; branches irregular (?) straggling, pinnate and bipinnate, pinnae and pinnules divaricate at rightangles, alternate; rachis flexuose, or with an angle at the origin of each pinna. The cells are placed at wide distances apart; small and adnate very nearly to the top. The mouth circular, with three large teeth, the one above frequently obscured by advent.i.tious substances, very acute, ascending, and a little recurved.