38 THE SPONGES OF THE WEST-CENTRAL PACIFIC 



The color, both of endosome and ectosome, was a pale, yellowish green, 

 and the consistency was softly spongy. 



The surface is conulose, with conules 0.3 mm high and about 1 mm 

 apart. The pores and oscules are both microscopic and readily closed, so 

 that this has the condition known as lipostomous. 



The general structure is much like that of Dysidea fragilis, with a thin 

 fleshy dermis and an endosome characterized by eurypyllous or sack-shaped 

 flagellate chambers, about 50 fx to 60 /x in diameter. 



The skeleton of this species consists of a reticulation of debris-filled 

 fibers, which are rather fine as compared to those of other members of the 

 genus, about 80 /j. in diameter. 



This species is undoubtedly close to fragilis and, according to some 

 philosophies of taxonomy, might be regarded as a synonym of fragilis. It 

 is, however, consistently finer-grained than most specimens of the earlier 

 species and is sharply set off by the very distinctive color. This latter char- 

 acteristic, in this relatively common species in Ebon Atoll, was quite con- 

 sistent. 



The name is based upon the Greek word which is thought to mean 

 "green." 



Dysidea herbacea (Keller) Burton 



Text Figure No. 20 



This species is here represented by the following : 

 U.S.N.M. No. 22947, My No. M. 319, collected June 21, 1949, by diver at 



the north side of the lagoon, near Matien Islet, of Ailing-lap-lap Atoll. 



The depth was 5 meters, and substrate was coral that may have been 



alive. 

 U.S.N.M. No. 23095, My No. M. 477, collected August 17, 1949, by diver at 



Kuop Atoll in the northeast corner of the lagoon near Givry Islet. The 



depth was 2 meters ; substrate was dead coral. 



This is a ramose species, 5 to 10 mm in diameter and upwards of 20 

 cm high, especially in the case of specimens from Kuop Atoll. 



The first specimen mentioned had a dirty lavender gray exterior and a 

 very pale, drab interior. The ones from Kuop were gray with light purple 

 patches and had a drab interior so pale as to be almost white. The con- 

 sistency was ropelike, tough and flexible rather than elastic. 



The surface is to be described as rugose or granulose rather than conu- 

 lose. There are about 3 minute lumps for each 2 square mm. The pores 

 are about 80 fx to 150 p. in diameter and 150 ^ to 350 /x apart, center to cen- 

 ter. The oscules are about 1 mm in diameter and are widely scattered, often 

 as much as 2 or 3 cm apart. Large areas of the sponge may be devoid of 

 them completely. 



