Keratoisis paucispinosa (Wright & Studer, 1889)
Type specimens were collected from muddy bottoms off Japan from 345 fathoms depth (630.9 meters)
Bathyal
Type specimens were collected from muddy bottoms off Japan from 345 fathoms depth (630.9 meters)
Bathyal
Transcribed from Wright & Studer 1889
Axis unbranched. From 6 to 7 dm. long; calcareous internodes 3 to 4 cm. in length; base of broad, calcareous, root-like projections; basal internodes solid; apical, hollow and grooved, the whole axis very flexible; a somewhat irregular alternate verticils, a little crowded to one side of the axis. No spicules on the body of the polyp facing the axis, a few fusiform spicules greatly varying in size on the dorsal aspect, eight large spine-like dentate spicules surrounding the tentacular base of the polyp. Tentacles large, massive, very imperfectly retractile, studded with minute, irregular, dentate spicules. The large spine-like spicules on the polyp bodies measure 5-2; 5-3.5; 3-.13 mm. The small needle-like spicules measure 0.14-0.16; 0.4-0.03 mm. The irregular dentate spicules of the tentacles measure 0.13-0.03 mm. smaller. Three nearly perfect specimens of this species were taken off Japan; it seems an abundantly distinct species.