216
C. M. YONOE
reported on by Crossland (1952) and Stephenson and Wells (1966) and
by Wells (1954) respectively. These reporta are the more valuable
because of the wide field experience of the authors. Crossland spent
much of his life studying first Indian Ocean and then Pacific corala and
coral reefs. The collections of the Great Barrier Reef Expedition, which
could cover only small sections of the 1250 miles of the Barrier aeries,
consisted, Crossland found, of 174 species belonging to 54 genera and of
these he states “ 30 species are new, 2 of Barnard’s have been given
new names, and there are several curious varieties, 3 of which have
been given names.” Later, in the course of a survey of the coral fauna
of Low Isles still affected by the cyclone of 1960, Stephenson and Wells
(1956) estimated a possible 150 species. Wells (1955) haa further shown
how the number of coral species diminishes from north to south along
the BaTier. No new species appear ; hermatypic corals are always most
abundant in the mid-tropics.
Regarding the Marshall Islands, Wells (1954) statea that the coral
fauna “ includes 240 speoies and varieties (22 new) representing 62
genera (1 new) of hermatypic scleractinian corals, 15 species and
varieties (3 new) representing 10 genera (1 new) of ahermatypio forme,
and 11 species representing 6 genera of nonscleractinian corals.” We&
had personal knowledge of the Marshall Islands and supplies important
information, summarized later, about the distribution of comh on the
seaward and lagoon reefs. He also discusses the wider question of the
general distribution of Indo-Pacific corals.
Wells (1950) and Searle (1956) have described the coral fauna, of
Cocoa-Keeling atoll and of Malaya and gradually the major task of
describing the Indo-Pacific fauna is being accomplished. It is queetionable whether there will again be papers equal in length to those of
Crossland (1952) and Wells (1964) although major taxonomic problems
remain. Knowledge about Atlantic corals is probably less complete ; iq
a personal communication, Dr. T. F. Goreau states that publication of
recent work in the West Indies is held up because of taxonomic
difliculties.
The major difficulty persists of deciding the limits of variability
within sessile animals forming large colonies, the growth form of which
is inevitably-but also differentially- influenced by weter movemenfa.
The tendency of the nineteenth century museum taxonomist studying
coral skeletons was to multiply Bpecies. The lilter reaction of the field
worker was to go to the other extreme and convert these museum speoies
into growth forms. Thus Milleporcc waa reduced by Hickmn fa the
single species, M . alciwrnis Linnams. More recently taxonomy hae
been largely in the hands of those who are also field workers and with
C. M. YONOE
reported on by Crossland (1952) and Stephenson and Wells (1966) and
by Wells (1954) respectively. These reporta are the more valuable
because of the wide field experience of the authors. Crossland spent
much of his life studying first Indian Ocean and then Pacific corala and
coral reefs. The collections of the Great Barrier Reef Expedition, which
could cover only small sections of the 1250 miles of the Barrier aeries,
consisted, Crossland found, of 174 species belonging to 54 genera and of
these he states “ 30 species are new, 2 of Barnard’s have been given
new names, and there are several curious varieties, 3 of which have
been given names.” Later, in the course of a survey of the coral fauna
of Low Isles still affected by the cyclone of 1960, Stephenson and Wells
(1956) estimated a possible 150 species. Wells (1955) haa further shown
how the number of coral species diminishes from north to south along
the BaTier. No new species appear ; hermatypic corals are always most
abundant in the mid-tropics.
Regarding the Marshall Islands, Wells (1954) statea that the coral
fauna “ includes 240 speoies and varieties (22 new) representing 62
genera (1 new) of hermatypic scleractinian corals, 15 species and
varieties (3 new) representing 10 genera (1 new) of ahermatypio forme,
and 11 species representing 6 genera of nonscleractinian corals.” We&
had personal knowledge of the Marshall Islands and supplies important
information, summarized later, about the distribution of comh on the
seaward and lagoon reefs. He also discusses the wider question of the
general distribution of Indo-Pacific corals.
Wells (1950) and Searle (1956) have described the coral fauna, of
Cocoa-Keeling atoll and of Malaya and gradually the major task of
describing the Indo-Pacific fauna is being accomplished. It is queetionable whether there will again be papers equal in length to those of
Crossland (1952) and Wells (1964) although major taxonomic problems
remain. Knowledge about Atlantic corals is probably less complete ; iq
a personal communication, Dr. T. F. Goreau states that publication of
recent work in the West Indies is held up because of taxonomic
difliculties.
The major difficulty persists of deciding the limits of variability
within sessile animals forming large colonies, the growth form of which
is inevitably-but also differentially- influenced by weter movemenfa.
The tendency of the nineteenth century museum taxonomist studying
coral skeletons was to multiply Bpecies. The lilter reaction of the field
worker was to go to the other extreme and convert these museum speoies
into growth forms. Thus Milleporcc waa reduced by Hickmn fa the
single species, M . alciwrnis Linnams. More recently taxonomy hae
been largely in the hands of those who are also field workers and with