406
N. R. MENON: Species of the Genus Parasmittina OSBURN
6. Parasmittina tropica (WATERS), 1909
Collected from a depth of 50 m off Quilon, SW coast of India. Considerable variations
in specific characters occur in this typically tropical species. Main differences are centred
around the adventitious avicular characteristics. Widely distributed in the Indo-Australian
Archipelago.
7. Parasmittina california (ROBERTSON), 1908
Previously found only on the Californian coast of America; the present record
extends the distribution of this species to the Indian Ocean. It is very likely that this is
a tropical and warm temperate species.
8. Parasmittina projecta (OKADA and MAWATARI), 1936
A single colony encrusting a gastropod shell was collected from a depth of 50 m off
Quilon. Even through the characters of this material resemble those of Smittina pro;ecta
given by OKADA and MAWATARI (1936), certain striking differences have been noticed
in the nature and disposition of the avicularia. Apart from the type locality, the Izu
Peninsula in Japanese waters, this species has further been recorded only from the Arabian
Sea.