. The Cambridge natural history. Zoology. XIII ALCYONARIA—STOLONIFERA 343 Sarcodictyon is found in depths of 10 to 22 fathoms in the Irish Sea, oif the west coast of Scotland, the Shetlands, and off the Eddystone Lighthouse, South Devon. Another very important genus is Tuhipora, in which the tubular body-wall of each zooid is very much longer in proportion to its diameter than it is in Sarcodictyon, and the anthocodia is retracted not into the stolon, but into the basal part of the body- wall. The zooids are connected together by horizontal platforms on which new zooids are formed by gemmation
. The Cambridge natural history. Zoology. XIII ALCYONARIA—STOLONIFERA 343 Sarcodictyon is found in depths of 10 to 22 fathoms in the Irish Sea, oif the west coast of Scotland, the Shetlands, and off the Eddystone Lighthouse, South Devon. Another very important genus is Tuhipora, in which the tubular body-wall of each zooid is very much longer in proportion to its diameter than it is in Sarcodictyon, and the anthocodia is retracted not into the stolon, but into the basal part of the body- wall. The zooids are connected together by horizontal platforms on which new zooids are formed by gemmation. Both horizontal plat- forms and the body-walls of the zooids are provided with a skeleton of fused spicules of a red colour. This genus is the well-known Organ-pipe coral, and is found some- times in immense quantities on the coral reefs of both the old and new WOriU. Yia, 151.—Tubipora musica, a young It may be seen in pools on the colony growing on a dead Madre- edge of the reefs at low tides in S^Tirizii^Si piSforms'^?y, colonies frequently a foot or more the skeletal tubes of the zooids ; , mi i J. 1 S, the basal stolon. in diameter. The tentacles are often of a bright emerald green colour, and as the anthocodiae stand expanded in the clear water they contribute a brilliant patch of colour to the many beauties of their surround- ings. "When the coral is disturbed, or the water shallows and the anthocodiae are retracted, the dull red colour of the skeleton gradually takes the place of the bright green of the tentacles. It is probable that this order of Alcyonaria was better repre- sented on the reefs of some of the earlier periods of the world's history than it is at present. The fossil Syringopora, which is found abundantly in the carboniferous limestone and other strata, was probably an Alcyonarian belonging to this order. It resembles Tuhipora in its mode of growth, but in place of the horizontal platforms connecting the zooids there are rods or bars from which
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectzoology, bookyear1895
