﻿294 



"ENDEAVOUR" SCIENTIFIC RESULTS. 



are either tornotely pointed (tornostyles) or strongylotelv 

 rounded off (amphistrongyles) ; and, in this connection, it is 

 rather remarkable that whereas in four of the specimens these 

 spicules are almost exclusively amphistrongyles, in the fifth 

 they are almost exclusively tornostyles. The name "tylota" 

 used by Whitelegge in reference to the auxiliary spicules is 

 quite inapplicable, since in no instance do they show any indi- 

 cation of a terminal enlargement, except occasionally at the 

 basal extremity ; the distal extremity of the tornostyles is 

 variously modified in the same way as in E. reticulata 

 (Fig. 66). 



All the specimens are attached, as Whitelegge mentions, to 

 the branches of gorgonaceans, hydrocorallines, or bryozoans, 

 and also grow over and around these branches so as to en- 

 close them. The sponge is without definite shape, but always 

 assumes a more or less rounded contour. The largest speci- 

 men, which happens to be of compressed form, measures 

 no mm. in height, 75 mm. in breadth, and 25 mm. in thick- 

 ness. 



Loc. — Coast of New South Wales, off Wollongong, 55-56 

 fms. ("Thetis"). 



ECHINOCHALINA INTERMEDIA, JVhitelegge. 



(Fig. 69). 



1901. Thalassodendron viminalis (err., non Lendenfeld, 1888), 



Whitelegge, Rec. Austr. Mus., iv., 2, 1901, p. 87. 



1902. Echinoclathria intermedia, Whitelegge, Op. cit., iv., 5, 



1902, p. 214. 



Sponge sessile, of clathrate structure a}id erect massive 

 form; composed of reticulating, erect and transverse, 

 flattened iraheculce of various size, 5 to jo mm. long, 4 

 to 20 mm. wide, and 2 to 4 mm. thick. Skeleton an 

 irregular reticulation of fibres which are comparatively 

 poor in spongin and ate mostly provided with a stout, 

 often fairly dense, nndtispicular axial strand of {auxiliary) 

 cylindrical tornostyles and (scarce) amphistrongyles ; the 

 connecting fibres sometimes contain! few or no spicides. 

 The fibres are echinated, at all angles of inclination, by 

 comparatively few conical smooth (principal) styli. Aux- 

 iliary spicules are scattered ititerstitially in moderate 

 abundance, together with a few principal spicules. Mega- 

 scleres, sizes of: — (i.) Principal, 80 to 150 ji in length, 

 9 \i in maximum diameter ; (ii.) auxiliary, 140 to 18^ y, in 

 length, 4 p. in maximum diameter. Microscleres absent. 



